Looking for a dinner that transports you to the Caribbean, warms you up like comfort food, and is still healthy? Yeah, I didn’t think so — that would be an odd request to make of dinner. But, even if you weren’t looking, it’s a great feeling to have, and it’s exactly what Post Punk Kitchen’s Curried Black Eyed Peas delivers.

I’ve read about her book, Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes, a couple of places, and I was intrigued. I’m the furthest thing you can find from a vegan, but once in a blue moon on accident I’ll make something vegan, and I like it. So it’s been an area I’ve thought about dabbling in. I just get scared off by recipes that include nutritional yeast and tempeh.

One day a friend of mine mentioned she had been using this cookbook and loved it, but then she pointed me toward the site. I spent the better half of the day trying to decide what I would cook that night. Did I want to go crazy and throw “gluten free” in the mix? Well, that’s what I ended up doing. (more…)

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Caribbean, Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Lunch, Vegan, Vegetarian, World traveller by Courtney

Macaroni and cheese has long been a favorite of mine (as I’m sure it is for many of you). Growing up, Mom always made our mac-n-cheese “from scratch”. Hers was a simple recipe. Boil some shells, chunk up some Velveeta, and stir, stir, stir until it all melts. That’s it, no milk, no butter. In fact, when someone added those things to mac n cheese, it tasted weird to me. I just wanted Mom’s.

Somewhere along the way, I decided to add a little milk and butter to my version of Mom’s. I think it was in college and I was running a little low on Velveeta, so I had to stretch it out somehow. I decided that wasn’t half bad, and I could eat that again if I had to. A few years later, and at a luncheon I had baked macaroni and cheese. The kind that has a bechamel sauce base, and bread crumbs on top. This took me back to “something’s not quite right with this”. Additions to my macaroni are apparently an acquired taste, but out of the necessity to stretch what’s in the cupboard or fridge, my palate learns to adapt. And that’s how I ended up making this Baked Mac n Cheese with Broccoli. (more…)

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Comfort food, Dinner, Vegetarian by Courtney

Once upon a time I used to make this meal a couple of times a week. Then I wandered a bit, trying new things, new flavors, and I no longer had time for my tried and true couscous recipe. This week I decided to bring it back, and I’m glad I did. I missed you so, couscous salad.

I first started making this dish when I stumbled upon Near East couscous in the store. I decided to give it a whirl, and given the Mediterranean bent to the flavors (garlic, olive oil) I decided to top this with a Mediterranean salad, and a bit of chicken for good measure. (more…)

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Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Lunch, Quick and Easy, Salad, Vegan, Vegetarian by Courtney

It’s that time of year when everyone vows to better themselves. Some want to tighten their budgets and keep an eye on the finances (and for the frugal, check out what to do with your vegetable scraps to make them go the extra mile). Some want to spend more time with friends and family (and what better way than over a hotpot full of sukiyaki?). But most make some sort of resolution about slimming down, eating healthier, and exercising.

So for that last group, I post this recipe from Martha Stewart. It’s one of my favorite weeknight meals, and it’s the meal that changed my mind about tofu, convincing me to try it in the first place, and surprisingly liking it. This meal is vegetarian – vegan even! Soba noodles are one of my favorites, so I’ll take any excuse to gobble them up. This recipe is light, but filling, and nice and warm on a chilly night. (more…)

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Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Vegan, Vegetarian by Courtney

Today I awoke to gray skies. While the temperature wasn’t too cold, there’s something about a gray day that makes you want to snuggle back under the covers and hibernate, watching old movies and keeping warm. So that’s basically what I did, only the covers were on the couch, so I could enjoy all of the Christmas decorations around the house.

I decided it would be the perfect day to feed the craving I’d been having for a vegetable soup in Lidia Bastianich’s book, Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy. I had made the recipe last year, and it was so full of flavor and so easy that it has stuck out in my mind as a “must make as soon as the weather turns cold” meal. (more…)

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Comfort food, Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Italian, Lunch, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian by Courtney