Recipe: Chipotle and Bean Chili

This is a super simple but really hearty chili that can be made with very minimal prep. This can also easily be adapted for any diet. It can be made vegan using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, and it can be gluten-free by substituting potato starch instead of flour. This is a fairly spicy chili so you might want to serve it with cream, cheese, or some bread but it’s not so hot you can’t just eat it as it is. If you want a thicker chili you can mash a portion of the beans before you put them in the pot as well.

Continue reading

Recipe: Vada Pav Burger

This burger is basically inspired by vada pav which is a kind of dreamy street food that is carbs (potatoes) on carbs (bread) with spicy chilies. You can use whatever bun you like, traditionally it’s made in something more like a parker house roll. You can also pick and choose your own toppings though I kept it really simple and went for cheese, lettuce, tomato, and a ketchup-mayo mix for a sauce but feel free to experiment!

Continue reading

Recipe: Asparagus Risotto

This is basically a standard risotto recipe but I really like this one because it makes the risotto green due to adding some pureed asparagus to the liquid. It’s creamy and satisfying and it feels very spring / summer -like because of the color. I would recommend this if you’re tired of your risotto coming out a sort of blah yellow or brown.

Continue reading

Recipe: Focaccia Pizza

If you’re stuck in a rut of pizzas this is a great way to change things up a little. It’s still very low effort and requires just 10 minutes and the knowledge that you’re going to have pizza that night. This pizza comes out of chewy and flaky. Make sure you don’t put too many toppings on, one or two is the maximum it can hold (and make sure they’re cooked or dry because too much water will make the pizza soggy). Because there are so few ingredients make sure you salt your dough well and season your sauce if you want something out of this world.

Continue reading

Recipe: Pupusa

I’ve never actually had a pupusa so I wasn’t really sure how to make these or what they should be like but it did take me two or three tries to figure out how wet the dough should be, how they should be filled, and so on so don’t get too discouraged if your first batch comes out a little interesting – they should still be delicious. This is just a great and quick way to deliver flavor to your mouth and it pairs really well with all types of salsas/sauces and you can fill with almost anything making it really versatile as a starting point recipe.

Continue reading

Recipe: Tofu-Bean Meatballs

I don’t eat most meat (just birds and fish) so I’ve never been one of those people who is trying to make exact replicas of meat but I just wanted to find a recipe that made sturdier “meat” balls because they’re just such a useful food and these fit the bill. Just make sure that your tofu and beans are both really wrung out and that everything is mixed well together and these will come out with a texture that is only slightly more delicate than a regular meatball. They also taste pretty much like meatloaf which is a great plus in my book too!

Continue reading

Recipe: Chickpea Soup

This really hearty and delicious stew is great for a cold day or any occasion. You can make this ahead of time without the noodles and just add them as you’re warming it up (if you’re using thin vermicelli style noodles). This is basically minestrone but with slightly different flavors and chickpeas instead of beans in case you need a little variety in your life.

Continue reading

Recipe: Plum Cake

This is a great way to use up plums and can probably be used with plenty of varieties of fruit, especially other stone fruit like apricots and peaches. This is a one bowl recipe that comes together so easily I made it with one hand when I accidentally grated my thumb and had to be extra careful about my left hand for a week. This cake has a mild, sweet flavor that contrasts perfectly with the tart plums, and texture like a cream scone making it perfect for an afternoon tea or coffee snack.

Continue reading

Recipe: Bagels

I’m not the sort of person to tell you that you have to make bagels. Commercially available bagels aren’t particularly good but if you live near a bakery that makes fresh bagels the odds are that they’re going to be cheap and fairly good but if you can’t get bagels or happen to live in a place where they’re not particularly available this is an easy recipe which produces really good results for a home kitchen. You can rest these overnight but I’ve found that I personally like the sweet spot of about 4-6 hours in the refrigerator (at 12 hours these start to deflate for me, your results may vary). Luckily the recipe doubles easily and already made bagels last for up to 4 days without any taste or texture difference. If you can’t find molasses most sweet stuff will suffice: honey, brown sugar, and even dark corn syrup will all produce a crisp outside texture with a chewy inside – just how I like my bagels!

Continue reading