Spicy Quinoa + Black Lentil Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette

Summer salad time is here, and for lunch the other day, we wanted to make one that was more of a meal. There's no cheese and no bread in this -- unless you have a warmed tortilla on the side, like one of us just had to have -- but the quinoa makes it pretty filling. The trick is Avocado Vinaigrette, something that you can't really place in the finished dish that adds so much flavor. 


We're liking black lentils so much better than black beans. The flavor is very similar, but they only take 20 minutes to cook and require no pre-soak. We've been using them in place of black beans for months in huevous rancheros, burritos, and alongside fajitas. They're even good outside of Mexican cuisine. Check out our literal use of black beluga lentils here.


Trying to keep things simpler in our cooking lately has been a nice challenge -- new idea, new cookbook daydreams? Possibly! This particular recipe takes a little more in terms of time and effort, but it's worth it since it ends up tasting really fresh and healthy. 


Spicy Quinoa + Black Lentil Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette


Pickled Red Onion (do ahead; recipe follows)
1 1/2 cups prepared black lentils (like Whole Foods 365 brand)
1 1/2 cups prepared quinoa (follow package instructions)
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup corn (cut away from the cob or frozen)
1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Avocado Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste


To prepare the lentils, bring 1 cup of broth or water to a boil in a medium pan and add 1/2 cup dry lentils. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed. Prepare quinoa at the same time. Toast the corn kernels in a dry pan over medium-high heat until they start to brown a little. Allow the quinoa, lentils, and corn to cool. In a large mixing bowl, toss the onion, lentils, quinoa, pepper, corn, chipotle, and cumin together with the avocado vinaigrette. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve on a bed of your favorite greens with sliced avocado, cilantro leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Pickled Red Onion

1 cup diced red onion (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt


Add the onion, vinegar, water sugar, and salt to a food storage container. Allow mixture to sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. These are also great sliced for burgers or tacos.

Avocado Vinaigrette

1 cup cilantro leaves
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 small fresh chili pepper (like a jalapeño)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
1 small avocado
1/4 cup olive oil


Place the cilantro, garlic, lime juice, chili pepper, vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and the flesh of the avocado into the work bowl of your food processor. Blend until smooth. While the processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil. Set aside until ready to use.

Caprese-Style Stuffed Tomatoes

My wife brought home some cottage cheese on impulse from the store the other day, and it just kept staring at me from the refrigerator shelf. The ingredient seemed so '80s! All I kept thinking about was that it was the kind of thing people used to eat on a diet: cottage cheese on a tomato. That wasn't really doing it for me. So, I decided to taste it. It was really good and very milky and soft, much like fresh mozzarella. All of a sudden, the tomato idea didn't seem so bad. It just needed a little update.

Any regular reader of the blog knows we love a caprese salad. We have done a salad in a jar, a vegan version with tofu, a tart, and many more versions of this combo. Now we can add Caprese-Style Stuffed Tomatoes to the growing list.

Caprese-Style Stuffed Tomatoes

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (like Whole Foods 365 brand)
4 medium tomatoes
1 16-ounce container of organic low-fat cottage cheese (like Whole Foods 365 brand)
1/4 cup olive oil (like Whole Foods 365 brand)
1 - 1 1/2 cups loose-packed fresh basil (torn or cut into bite-sized pieces)
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Maldon sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper (to taste)

In a small pan over medium-high heat, cook the balsamic vinegar until it is reduced by half. Stir constantly as the vinegar boils so as not to scorch the sugars. This should take about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Cut the top off of each tomato and run your knife around the inside to dislodge the flesh and seeds. Pull out the flesh and seeds from each tomato and reserve them for another use. Season the inside of the tomato with salt and pepper to taste. Stuff each tomato with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the cottage cheese. Drizzle the top of each tomato (and the plate) with the thickened balsamic reduction and olive oil. Garnish with basil, chives, and salt and pepper to taste.

Peanut Butter Swirl Greek Fro-Yo

Obsessed with the new Ben and Jerry's Greek frozen yogurt flavors, we decided to give our own a shot. I think this recipe is close enough to call it a clone of the original. The best part about making it at home is that you know exactly what's in it. In this case, it's a mere 6 ingredients. Plus, with the addition of homemade Magic Shell, it's delicious beyond belief. This one is fun for the kids -- they'll be so amazed by watching the warm chocolate harden before their very eyes.

The best fruit to use here is slightly over-ripe bananas. When the skin is spotty and black, most of the starch in the banana has converted to sugar, and the texture is unappealing. Blending them up in a smoothie or ice cream is the best use of them. The sweetness is perfect and the texture works for this application.


Peanut Butter Swirl 
Greek Fro-Yo


2 bananas (roughly chopped)
1 17.6-ounce container 2% Greek yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup cane sugar (like Whole Foods 365 brand vegan cane sugar)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup peanut butter (like Whole Foods 365 brand Creamy Peanut Butter)


Place bananas, yogurt, honey, sugar, and salt into your food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour into bowl of ice cream maker and start it. Put peanut butter into a bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Once the yogurt has firmed up (about 20 minutes), turn off ice cream maker and then pour a quarter of peanut butter in and pulse ice cream maker until PB is swirled throughout but not blended. Do the same with the remaining PB so that there are swirls throughout the yogurt. Pour yogurt into a container and freeze it for at least an hour before serving. (Take it out of the freezer 5-10 minutes to soften before scooping it.)


Magic Shell at Home


1 3-5-ounce dark chocolate bar
1 tablespoon coconut oil
pinch of sea salt


Microwave chocolate and coconut oil for one minute. Stir to combine. While warm, drizzle over ice cream. It really is magic.

Veggie Chorizo-Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Corn Nuts Dust

We love it when people really enjoy the food we make.  We had family over this week and made this dish, and even a staunch meat eater was head over heels for it. The veg chorizo is similar to the texture of the real thing and would be good in a taco, burrito, in a taquito, with some Fritos -- even a incognito mosquito wouldn't veto this! 


Okay, here's the deal with corn nuts: I was looking for a non-disgusting snack at the gas station when I was on my way out to Conord Farms in Slayden, Mississippi. I picked up the Corn Nuts and, much to my surprise, they only had three ingredients: corn, oil, salt. That doesn't qualify as health food, but it was the best I could do at the time. Turns out that they are super-crunchy and delicious. (Whole Foods carries their own even-better-than-the-original version of Corn Nuts in the bulk section.) They kind of taste like the masa used to make tamales. They were the perfect thing to add a little texture and crunch to this stuffed pepper dish.




Veggie Chorizo-Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Corn Nuts Dust


4 large poblano peppers
1 medium white onion (2 cups roughly chopped)
3 large portobello mushrooms (about 5 cups roughly chopped)
1 green bell pepper (1 cup roughly chopped)
1 red bell pepper (1 cup roughly chopped)
6 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons canola
1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 cup shredded smoked mozzarella (more for topping)
1 egg (beaten)

1 cup Corn Nuts (pulsed in the for processor to produce a course crumb)

Enchilada sauce, sour cream, cilantro, diced avocado, sliced green onion (to garnish)

Roast the poblano peppers until blackened on your outdoor grill. Place into a bowl and cover until they are cool enough to handle. Run each pepper under cold water to wash away the blackened skin. Make a slit down the length of the pepper using a paring knife, pull out the seeds, and set peppers aside until they are ready to be stuffed.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using your food processor, finely chop the onion, portobellos, bell peppers, and garlic in batches and place them onto a large parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Add the vinegar, paprika, chili flakes, salt, coriander, cumin, and oregano. Using your hands, toss the ingredients to incorporate. Spread the mixture evenly on to the baking sheet and drizzle with the canola oil. Bake for 20 minutes.


In a large mixing bowl, combine the spiced vegetable mixture with the bread crumbs, smoked mozzarella, and the egg. Mix to incorporate. Stuff each pepper with a generous amount of the mixture. Place peppers into a large casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake them in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top each pepper with more cheese and return them to the oven, uncovered, for another 15 minutes.


To serve place a spoonful of enchilada sauce onto a warm plate, place the pepper into the sauce, and top with about 1/4 cup of the Corn Nuts dust. Serve the condiments on the side so everyone can add what they like.

Herbal Lemonade

We planted almost all herbs in the raised bed this year, save for some tiny hot peppers and a couple of currant tomato starts, an exciting surprise gift from a fellow gardener. The pineapple sage, thyme, parsley, boxwood, purple, and sweet basil, nasturtiums, marjoram, tarragon, and borage have rooted, and they're all pretty much growing like crazy. It's a great time to start making lemonade with all kinds of the herbs you have available in order to kick off the summer. We had an abundance of thyme and lemon verbena, but you can substitute any wonderful combination of what runneth over in your garden bed.

Herbal Lemonade

juice of 6 lemons
20 ounces spring water
1 cup loose-packed thyme sprigs
3 6-inch sprigs lemon verbena
1/4 cup agave syrup
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons cane sugar (like 365 brand Vegan Cane Sugar)

Place all ingredients in a pitcher with a lid and shake it until the agave, honey, and sugar all dissolve. Let lemonade sit in fridge for at least 2 hours before straining it and serving over ice.

Gingersnap S'mores (from the oven!)

You don't need a campfire or graham crackers to make this modern take on everyone's childhood favorite.  Gingersnaps add a little crunch and spice and a whole lot of interest to this classic dessert. Choose your favorite chocolate bar to ensure the deliciousness of this dish. We love the Lindt chocolate bar with a hint of sea salt.

It is quite worth it to seek out vegetarian-friendly marshmallows for this dessert. (Marshmallows are typically made with gelatin, a substance made mainly from pig skin and cattle bones.) I know that Whole Foods carries a brand of vegan marshmallows, Sweet n' Sara. You can also order Chicago Soy Dairy Dandies. Take your pick since they're both amazing.

This recipe is as easy as it looks and takes a total of 4 minutes to put together. That makes this the easiest and most delicious s'more around. Give it a try.

Gingersnap S'mores

18 ginger snaps (like Lars Own)
1 3-1/2 ounce chocolate bar (broken into 9 squares)
1 10-ounce bag vegan mini marshmallows

Turn the broiler of your oven on high. Lay half of the ginger snaps on a sheet pan, top each with a square of chocolate, and about 5 marshmallows. Place the try under the broiler for about 1 minute or until the top of the marshmallows blacken. Remove and top with the remaining gingersnaps. Wait for it to cool, and eat. (Makes 9 s'mores, which is about 4 servings.)

Quick & Hot Artichoke Dip

I made this dip all the time with my best friend when we were growing up and always hungry. It was our go-to snack, and to this day, I have no idea how we came up with it or when we first got the idea. Artichoke dip was just something one or both of us made just about every week and had at every gathering, whether it was just us two watching TV or a real party. This one takes about 5 minutes (at most) to prepare since everything just goes into the food processor. Once you make it yourself at home, you may not be tempted by the $9 restaurant appetizer version again; our version has a less cheese and mayo but tastes just as good.

Quick & Hot Artichoke Dip

1 can artichoke hearts (like Whole Foods 365 brand)

1/2 cup canola mayonnaise

1/4 cup parmesan cheese (plus more for topping)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

sea salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

blue or white corn chips or slices of baguette (to serve)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, parmesan, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper into the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until combined but not completely smooth. Brush a small baking dish with olive oil and spoon the dip into it. Top with the remaining olive oil and about 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan plus salt, pepper, and paprika. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes and serve with chips or baguette slices.

Makes 2 servings.

Tropical Waffles

Inspired by this recipe, we made pineapple compote this week and were thinking about how best to use it. It seemed like we had already gotten into a pint of peanut butter-banana Greek frozen yogurt every time dessert time came around, or maybe we just didn't have the right idea for pineapple. But then for Sunday breakfast, this idea seemed just right. These are banana waffles, and that plus the pineapple and coconut makes for a tropics-style breakfast that's almost like a dessert itself.


Tropical Waffles


1 banana (mashed)
2 eggs (separated)
1/4 cup canola oil (more for oiling the waffle maker)
1 cup 2% milk
2 tablespoons cane sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (like Whole Foods 365 brand)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Pineapple-Rum Compote (recipe follows)


Toast the coconut flakes in a dry pan until lightly browned. Top waffles with Pineapple-Rum Compote and coconut flakes. Plug in your waffle maker and pre-heat it.


In a medium bowl mix the banana, egg yolks, canola oil, and milk until well incorporated. In a large bowl mix the sugar, baking powder, salt, and flour. In yet another medium bowl, whip the egg whites until fluffy. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir to incorporate. Fold the egg whites into the batter.


Using a silicone pastry brush, oil both plates of the waffle maker. Spoon about 1/2 a cup of batter into each section of the waffle maker. Close the lid and cook for 4 minutes or until golden. Repeat until all of the batter is used.


To serve, place two waffles on a place, spoon 1/4 cup of the pineapple compote on top, and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Makes 6 waffles. 


Pineapple-Rum Compote


1 cup chopped pineapple
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar (like Whole Foods 365 brand)
1 tablespoon rum
pinch of Maldon sea salt flakes


Combine pineapple, butter, brown sugar, rum, and salt in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring it often; it should brown a bit and produce a sticky sauce.

Simple Smoky Salsa Migas Bowl

Happy Cinco de Mayo! This dish isn't really that traditional, though -- it's a Tex-Mex creation that I first tried a version of in Austin, Texas at Juan in a Million. I guess it sort of still counts as a way to celebrate today. A Migas Bowl is a great breakfast but even better as a low-key lunch or dinner. 

Come see us demo this dish on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Memphis Farmers Market! The vendors' names listed in the ingredients below represent a few of the great farms here in Memphis. Collect the ingredients yourself and make this at home this week!

Simple Smoky Salsa Migas Bowl

1 tablespoon butter
4 large Donnell Century Farm eggs (beaten)

1/2 cup Simple Smoky Salsa (more for garnish, recipe follows)
1 1/2 cups Las Delicias corn chips

1 cups prepared Earth Sprung Grain rice

Seasoned Black Beans (recipe Follows)

3 to 4 ounces Bonnie Blue soft goat cheese
Va Vang's Homegrown Produce cilantro leaves (to garnish)
4 small flour tortillas
sea salt and cracked black pepper to garnish


Melt butter in a medium pan over medium-low heat. Add the eggs and stir constantly using rubber spatula. Once the eggs come together, add the salsa and continue to scramble. Add the corn chips and mix to incorporate. Divide the rice among two serving bowls and top each with about 1/2 cup of the Seasoned Black Beans and then add half of the scrambled egg mixture to each bowl. Top with goat cheese and cilantro leaves. Serve with warm flour tortillas. (Makes 2 servings.)


Simple Smoky Salsa

2 medium (or 3 small) Micmak Farms tomatoes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 small bulb of Flora Farms garlic (about 1 tablespoon)
1/4 cup Va Vang's Homegrown Produce cilantro leaves
2 to 3 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce (we like Valentina Black)
Maldon sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper to taste


In a medium cast-iron skillet over high heat, burn the outside of the tomatoes and the garlic (still in its papery skin). Do this by turning the tomatoes and garlic every 3 to 4 minutes using tongs. Once all sides are blackened, remove and set aside in a bowl to cool. Place tomatoes into the work bowl of your food processor. Squeeze the head of garlic from the root end and the cloves should pop right out. Add them to the food processor along with the cilantro, hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse the food processor until all ingredients are well incorporated, but not still chunky. (Makes about 1 1/2 cups.)


Seasoned Black Beans

1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 cup diced shallot
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 15-ounce can Whole Foods 365 Organic black beans (drained, rinsed)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 cup broth or water

sea salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)



In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the canola oil, shallot, granulated garlic, sage, and cumin. Cook until fragrant. Add the beans, vinegar, and broth. Allow the beans to simmer for 5 minutes. Mash lightly with a potato masher. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm on the stove until ready to serve. (Makes about 1 1/2 cups beans.)

Caramelized Onion + Goat Cheese Pizza

This pizza is a tribute to a dish at one of our favorite restaurants, Felicia Suzanne's, in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. Felicia is a confident and talented chef whose eponymous restaurant just celebrated its 10-year anniversary. One of our favorite things that she serves is this precious little goat cheese and onion tart. It's a piping hot mix of caramelized onions and soft goat cheese nestled inside of a corneal crust. The whole thing is topped with a ton of basil. It's heaven.

Here, that same idea is put into pizza form. The result is a quiche-like pizza topping that is pretty unique and quite delicious. We had this dish for dinner, but it would be right at home at brunch too. So, go try the original dish, and then make this one at home. You'll love both.


Caramelized Onion + Goat Cheese Pizza


1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 cups thinly sliced white onion
2 tablespoons vegetarian Worcestershire
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup white wine (like Pinot Grigio)
5 ounces soft goat cheese (like Whole Foods 365 brand)
1 large egg
Maldon sea salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)
1 10-inch pizza crust (store bought or use our recipe)
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves (to garnish)


In a large frying pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter and add the onion in an even layer. The secret to this dish to to cook the onions slowly to allow the natural sugars to come out and become caramelized. This process will yield a deep flavor. It takes some patience, but it's worth it. Allow the onions to cook undisturbed for about 30-45 minutes. Check the pan every once in a while to make sure they are browning, not burning. You want the bottom layer to have a nice deep brown color before you move on to the next step. Add the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and the wine. crank the heat up to medium-high and start to reduce the mixture. Keep stirring so nothing scorches. Once most of the liquid has evaporated, remove pan from the heat and allow the onions to cool. They should be soft and caramel-colored at this point.


Preheat your oven to 550 with a pizza stone in place. Allow the oven to preheat for at least 25 minutes. In to the work bowl of your food processor, place the onion mixture, goat cheese, egg, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pulse food processor until all ingredients are well incorporated. Place the par-cooked pizza dough on your pizza peel that has been sprinkled with corn meal or lined with parchment. Spread the onion and goat cheese mixture evenly over the crust. Slide pizza onto the stone and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the goat cheese and onion mixture is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before topping it with basil and slicing it with a pizza cutter. (Makes 2 servings.)

Vegan Avocado + Kimchi Sandwich

I threw this sandwich together one day with the stuff I had in the fridge. This combination just really seems to show off what's great about kimchi: it's sweet, sour, spicy, and salty all in one jar. It was so surprisingly good that I had to recreate it for my wi. She loved it, too, and she isn't even a huge fan of kimchi like I am. It got such a good response that now I'm sharing it with you. This simple recipe comes together in a matter of minutes, especially if you use store-bought kimchi, but here's a recipe for how to make your own. 


Think of this sandwich as the banh mi's Korean cousin. The two sandwiches have a similar appeal, but the kimchi sandwich is so much simpler to make because it has far fewer components. Feel free to swap out the tempeh for a fried egg, pan-fried tofu, or sliced portobello mushrooms if you like that sort of thing.


Vegan Avocado + Kimchi Sandwich


1 12-inch baguette (the kind that's crispy on the outside)
2 tablespoons canola oil (like Whole Foods 365 Brand)
1 8 ounce package tempeh (cut into 16 pieces)
1 tablespoon soy sauce or Bragg's
1 large avocado (peeled, pitted)
4-6 tomato slices
1 1/2 cups kimchi (like Sunja's Medium-Spicy Kimchi)
2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise

1/2 cup fresh cilantro
sriracha (to taste)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the bread in the oven until it is warmed through (about 6 minutes.) Trim the ends off of the bread and split it down one side while leaving the other side still attached like a hinge. Set aside. 


In a medium pan over medium-high heat, add the oil to the pan. Once the oil begins to shimmer, place the sliced tempeh into the pan in a single layer. Cook until browned on one side (about 3 minutes), and then flip the slices over and allow the tempeh to cook for another 2 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and drizzle in the soy sauce. Toss to coat. Set aside until you are ready to assemble the sandwich.


Open the baguette wide; using a fork, smash the avocado onto the bottom part of the bread. Layer in the tomatoes, kimchi, and the crispy tempeh. Spread the mayo onto the top part of the bun and garnish the sandwich with cilantro and sriracha. Slice into 3-inch sections. Makes 4 servings. 

Homegrown Strawberry Ice Cream

The ideal plan for just-picked, in-season strawberries is to systematically find a million ways to use them until the end of May. This is the point at which you finally just can't stand to see another dang strawberry until next year rolls around. We're not there yet, so let the strawberry fest continue!

The row of strawberry plants at Steve's farm is going strong with lots of daughter pants popping up, which means that there will easily be some ready to be transplanted to get ready for next year. We made this ice cream to showcase these sweet, pesticide-free beauties. This is super-simple, comes together in no time, and seconds are just about impossible to resist.

(Pick your own here.)

Homegrown Strawberry Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups strawberries

1/2 cup cane sugar

1 cup heavy whipping cream (like Whole Foods 365 brand)
1 cup 2% milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder or scraped vanilla bean
pinch of Maldon sea salt flakes

Hull and slice strawberries until you have 1 1/2 cups ready. Place berries and sugar into a medium sauce pan on medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Set them aside to cool. Whisk cream, milk, vanillas, and salt. Mash cooled strawberry mixture with a potato masher whisk into to the milk. Pour into your ice cream maker and let it churn for about 20 minutes. Transfer ice cream, which will be soft, to a container and let it harden in the freezer for at least 3 hours.

Confetti Corn Chowder

This simple corn chowder was the result of some very desperate late-night hunger pangs. Creamy, sweet, and spicy, it comes together quite quickly and makes for a hearty meal when served with a thick slice of whole wheat bread. (Don't worry if spice isn't your thing -- it's tempered by the sweetness of the corn.) Make it a day ahead and the flavors come together even better. 

Confetti Corn Chowder

2 tablespoons canola oil (like Whole Foods 365)
2 cups diced white onion
1/2 teaspoon cumin6 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 chipotle chilies (from a can)
1 cup white wine (like Pinot Grigio)
1 cup vegetable broth 
1 cup whole milk 
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 pound bag frozen organic corn (divided)
2 cups diced potato
1 cup diced green peppers
1 cup diced  red peppers
Maldon sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
sour cream (to garnish)
chopped chives (to garnish)


In a large soup stock pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers and add the onion. Cook onion until translucent and soft, about 7 minutes. Add the cumin and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the chilies and the wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by more than half. Add the broth, milk, vinegar, and 2 cups of corn. The milk may break, but that's okay. Blend the mixture using an immersion blender. Return the mixture to the heat. Add the potato and then red and green peppers. In a medium pan over high heat, cook the remaining 1/2 cup of corn in the dry pan until kernels are nicely browned. Add the corn to the pot. Cook chowder, covered, on low until the potatoes are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with chopped chives and sour cream. (Makes 4 servings.)

Strawberry-Tarragon Gin Smash

It's strawberry season, y'all. We are so very excited. Steve, The Chubby Vegetarian farmer in residence, has one long 30-foot row of strawberries growing on the farm. We traveled out to Slayden, Mississippi to pick a bunch of the jewel-colored beauties on Saturday afternoon. After sharing a quart with a lady at the antique store, we still had about 4 quarts to take back home with us.


These strawberries were unlike the pale golfball-sized monsters you find in most supermarkets. These things were beautiful: small, dark red, and sweet. For the most part, we just dipped them in a little whipped cream and ate them whole, but we though we'd do something special with a handful of 'em.


One favorite drink is a mix of mint and strawberries called See You in September. This drink was created in that same spirit. Here, gin adds a nice botanical note while the tarragon adds something a little unexpected to this cocktail. The blood orange bitters were handmade by our good friend Michael, but feel free to substitute angostura bitters if you can't find blood orange. 


Strawberry-Tarragon Gin Smash


1 cup roughly chopped fresh strawberries
1 Meyer lemon (quartered)
1 3-inch sprig French tarragon
1 cup ice
2 drops blood orange bitters
3 ounces gin (like Bombay Sapphire or Hendricks)
1 1/2 ounces agave nectar


Place the strawberries, lemon, tarragon, ice, bitters, gin, and agave nectar into a large cocktail shaker. Muddle the mixture until the strawberries are broken down and most of the ice is cracked. Strain into 2 champagne or martini glasses. Garnish with a bit more tarragon and a strawberry.

Pickled Watermelon Rind

Growing up, we never had pickled watermelon rind, but it's pretty old-school Southern, so we had to try it and see what all the fuss is about. And what could be better than using up all the parts of an oversized watermelon and cutting way down on waste by making something surprisingly different and really good? One summer, we learned how to pickle rind, and after that practice round, now we know how to get it right. One trick is to avoid using big slices of the white rind; a fine dice is more visually appealing and easier to use as an accent on a cheese plate or salad instead of the focus of a dish.

These have more of an Asian flavor profile, and despite all the sugar in the recipe, our recipe yields a pickle that's far from syrupy sweet. With the other part of the watermelon, make our watermelon-jalapeno margaritas, watermelon-tomato gazpacho, or grilled watermelon salad. (We're going to be working on a lot of pickling projects in the next few weeks -- can't wait to share them with you!)

Pickled Watermelon Rind

1 cup watermelon rind (just the tough white part, finely and evenly diced)
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
2-inch piece fresh ginger (thinly sliced)
1 2-inch piece of lime rind
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 cinnamon stick
3 tablespoons cane sugar (like Whole Foods 365 Vegan Cane Sugar)
1/4 teaspoon iodized sea salt

Place diced watermelon rind in a 1 1/2-cup jar. In a medium saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, ginger, lime rind, coriander, cinnamon stick, sugar, and salt up to a boil. Pour the liquid over the rind and let it cool on the counter for about an hour before sealing jar and storing in the fridge for up to a month.

*Watermelon rind is a good source of the amino acid citrulline and offers cardiovascular health benefits.

Smoked Sun-Dried Tomatoes

I use smoked sun-dried tomatoes in many savory recipes from Spanish tortillas to vegetarian gumbo to carbonara. They add complexity to any dish. There is the sweetness of the concentrated fruit sugars, the natural acidity, a light saltiness from the drying process, and of course, the smoke, which is really the thing that really elevates this ingredient.


A lot of our readers have had trouble finding this slightly elusive ingredient. For this reason, I will give you 3 options for procuring smoked sun-dried tomatoes. If you try them once, you'll be hooked just like we are.


The first way is the simplest: buy them. A company called California Sun-Dry sells smoked sun-dried tomatoes in 3-ounce bags. Click here to view a complete list of where you can find their products.


Another method that's nearly as simple is to add liquid smoke to dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes. I think a good ratio is 1 teaspoon per cup of sun- dried tomatoes. Place sun-dried tomatoes into a food storage container, sprinkle in the liquid smoke, cover, and shake. Set aside in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes so the flavors can meld.


Finally, you may smoke them yourself. It's easy if you have a few simple items and a little know-how. This is my favorite method as it yields an authentic and aromatic smoky flavor. It's best to make these in a large batch. They will keep unrefrigerated for 6 months because they are preserved two ways.

You will need some special equipment to make your own. Many grill-top or stove-top smokers can be found online or at almost any specialty kitchen store like Viking and Willams-Sonoma. I made my own smoker using a 9x12 stainless steel pan with a shallow, perforated basket and a tight-fitting lid. You could also use an old stock pot with a lid and an old footed colander that will fit down inside the pot. Just remember, the lid has to fit tightly to keep the smoke in, and anything you use has to be dedicated to smoking -- it will be completely ruined for any other purpose. The main thing is that the large pan has to be at least 1 inch deeper than the perforated pan so that there's room for the wood chips. You'll also need an outdoor gas grill and some wood chips, which are available at most grocery stores -- especially during the summer months.

The following instructions work for smoking any non-meltable foods like mushrooms, dates, grapes, sun-dried tomatoes, potatoes, sea salt, or tofu. Do not try this method with a cheese that will melt, because, well, it will melt. That said, this is a wonderful and simple way to impart a ton of flavor into some very unexpected things.

Quick Smoking Method:

1. Soak a handful of hickory wood chips and two handfuls of applewood chips in water for about 20 minutes. (I think this is the best mix of pungent hickory and fruity applewood smoke. If you like less intense smoke flavor, go with all-fruit wood like apple or cherry.)

2. Drain chips and set them in the bottom of your smoker pan. Turn your grill on high. Caveat: I do not recommend doing this inside as it produces a ton of smoke. Place the smoker pan directly over the flame of your outdoor gas grill (the side burner works best for this) and leave it alone. After 8 minutes, you will notice a lot of smoke coming from the chips; this is a good thing!

3. Lay sun-dried tomatoes (or mushrooms, dates, garlic or anything else you want to taste smoky) in a single layer in the smoker basket and place over the smoking wood chips.

4. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Wait 4 minutes. It doesn't take long for vegetables and fruit to soak up that smoke flavor. Remove smoked tomatoes from the basket and allow it all to cool.

Any one of these 3 methods will give you that rich, savory, smoky flavor that adds so much to so many vegetarian dishes. Give smoked-sun dried tomatoes a try. What will you make with them?

Strawberry & Mango Toasted Trifles

We don't see trifle as dessert very often in the South these days. Maybe they're a little old fashioned? But hey, there's really nothing wrong with that. We figured this simple dessert with a lot of texture would showcase the first strawberries of the season, the first batch that our respective dad and father-in-law Steve grew for us. 


These little individual trifles-in-a-cup are quick to put together if you use a shortcut, cubed vanilla dessert cups -- sort of like sponge cakes and usually available in packages of 6 -- instead of making your own shortcake. Toasted in the oven, they lend the dessert a crunchy texture that's really different. 


Strawberry & Mango Toasted Trifles


2 cups strawberries
1 tablespoon cane sugar
juice from half a lemon
1 champagne mango
3 vanilla dessert cups (2 cups, cubed)
Easy Whipped Cream (recipe follows)
4 teaspoons Pama pomegranate liqueur (or Chambord)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Hull and slice strawberries. Add sugar and lemon juice, and toss to combine, then set aside in the fridge to macerate. Cut the mango into cubes and set aside. Toast the dessert cups in oven for 10 minutes. Layer the strawberries, mango, whipped cream, and toasted dessert cups into 4 highball cups. Press down the layers with the back of a spoon. Drizzle 1 teaspoon pomegranate liqueur over each trifle. No need to wait like you do with a traditional trifle; these are best when served right after you make them. 
Easy Whipped Cream
Easy Whipped Cream

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl whisk cream vigorously until slightly stiff. Add sugar and vanilla and whisk to combine.  Set whipped cream aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 

Vegetarian "Midnight Snack" inspired by Restaurant Iris

In the kitchen at Restaurant Iris a year ago, I watched Chef Kelly English prepare his dish "Midnight Snack" for a photo shoot. It's made with toasted brioche, a poached egg, and sautéed shrimp that are tossed in his signature remoulade sauce. I told him then and there that I was going to make a vegetarian version of that dish. I did -- and it was awesome. Then recently Kelly kindly sent me the recipe for his remoulade sauce. (Can you believe it? I thought that kind of thing would be top secret.) I made the dish again with his recipe, and it was quite a revelation. The sauce made it, so much so that we had no choice but to enjoy two full servings each!

Vegetarian "Midnight Snack" inspired by Restaurant Iris

1 tablespoon iodized salt

1/4 cup vinegar

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 1-inch thick slices of brioche bread
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups quartered artichoke hearts (prepare your own or use 1 can Whole Foods 365 Artichoke Hearts Packed in Water)
2 1/2 cups quartered mushrooms (10 ounces)
Chef Kelly English's Remoulade Sauce (recipe follows)
4 sprigs fresh dill to garnish
Maldon sea salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)

In a large pan over medium heat, bring an inch and a half of water to a simmer. Add the salt and vinegar to the water and return it to a simmer. Poach  4 eggs at a time by slowly cracking the egg into the simmering water and allowing it to cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the white is set. Remove egg from the water and set aside on a paper towel until ready to serve. Discard cooking water.

Spread butter onto the slices of brioche. Using the same pan as you did for the eggs, toast the slices of brioche over medium heat just as you would a grilled cheese. Once the bread has achieved a light brown color, remove it from the pan and set aside.


Again using the same pan, crank the heat up to high. Add half the canola oil to the pan. Once the oil starts smoking, add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Remove them from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining canola oil to the pan along with the artichoke hearts. Cook for 3 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Turn the heat off. Add the mushrooms back to the pan along with Chef Kelly English's Remoulade Sauce. Toss to coat.


Divide the mushrooms and artichoke mixture among the toasted brioche slices, top with a poached egg, and garnish with fresh dill, cracked black pepper, and Maldon sea salt to taste.


Makes 4 servings.


Chef Kelly English's Remoulade Sauce

1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Creole mustard (like Zatarain's)
juice of  1/2 a lemon
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoons chopped chives

In a large bowl mix the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, celery salt, sugar, paprika, onion powder, granulated garlic, horseradish, and chives together until well incorporated. Keep in a food storage container in the refrigerator.

No-Bake Chipotle Chili Chocolate Tart

My grandmother used to make fried pies for us all of the time. There was nothing better than to be sent back home from Mamaw's house with a bag full of peach, apple, plum, and my favorite, chocolate fried pies. They were so wonderfully greasy that they would make dark spots on the outside of the paper grocery sack that held them. 


Why can't fried be as good for us as broccoli and cauliflower? Maybe one day. Until that day, we've come up with a way to get our chocolate pie without deep frying. In fact, there is very little at all to do. This deceptively simple pie packs a big punch thanks to some rich chocolate and just a touch of smoky heat brought on by chipotle pepper powder. Don't be scared off by the tofu. It's merely a medium to convey the chocolate to your taster. The texture of it is perfect for this, I swear.


No-Bake Ancho Chili Chocolate Tart



2 (3 ounce) chocolate bars (70% cocoa, chopped)
1/2 cup heavy cream 
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder 
1/4 teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes 
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 (12-ounce) box extra-firm silken tofu
Graham Cracker Crust (recipe follows)


In a double boiler over medium heat, whisk the chocolate and cream together until chocolate has melted and the cream is incorporated. This takes 10 minutes. Into the work bowl of your food processor, add the chocolate mixture along with the chipotle, salt, sugar, and tofu. Blend until very smooth. Spoon mixture into cooked, cooled crust and smooth. Allow tart to chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator. No need to bake it. Serve just like that or with a whipped cream or meringue topping. 


Graham crust

1 sleeve honey graham crackers (1 1/2 cups)

4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter (cubed)

1 tablespoon cane sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the graham crackers, butter, and sugar into the work bowl of your food processor. Pulse until finely chopped and butter is incorporated. The mixture should look like sand. Press mixture into the bottom of an 11-inch tart pan. Make sure to press crumbs into the scallops of the pan as well until it is 1/2 inch up the inside wall. Bake crust for 15 minutes. Allow it to cool completely before filling. 

Chocolate-Covered Matzo + Vanilla Ice Cream

We wanted to make a dramatic and different sort of dessert, one that was oversize and (of course) had a savory edge to it. (Maybe it's these -- beautiful? challenging? troubling? -- videos that made me wonder about a different way to do dessert.)

Our chocolate, fruit, and almond matzo can be used as a foil for ice cream, or you can just break them apart and share the 3 different flavors: toasted almond plus dried apricots, cherries, or coconut, and a generous sprinkling of Maldon salt.

Chocolate-Covered Matzo

1/4 cup dried apricots (chopped)

1/4 cup dried cherries (chopped)

1/4 cup dried coconut (toasted)

1/2 cup sliced almonds (toasted)

1 cup dark chocolate chunks
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 (8-inch x 8-inch) matzo
Maldon sea salt flakes (to taste)
Vanilla Ice Cream (optional)

Assemble the apricots, cherries, coconut, and almonds in separate bowls and set aside. Place chocolate and cream in a shallow microwave-safe bowl and melt then stir for 3 20-second intervals. Mix it well. Using a knife, spread the chocolate ganache evenly onto one side of the matzo. Sprinkle with almonds and apricots and then add salt to taste. Set aside. Onto the next matzo, sprinkle the almonds, cherries, salt. Set aside. Onto the next one, sprinkle coconut, almonds, and salt. Use whatever toppings are remaining for the last one. Set these one at a time on a plate in the fridge; use waxed paper in-between. Set out on kraft paper and break them up into pieces. Serve with ice cream or just enjoy matzo by themselves.

Vanilla Ice Cream

1 cup 2% milk

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder or paste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup cane sugar
pinch of Maldon sea salt flakes

Whisk milks, cream, vanillas, sugar, and salt. Place into the ice cream maker. After about 30 minutes, transfer ice cream to a container and place into the freezer to harden (about 30 minutes to an hour) before scooping.