Cooking, exotic-style – Page 2

Vegan Korean Cauliflower Tacos with Creamy Napa Cabbage Slaw

Change is in the air.

It’s that time of the year- and it’s finally beginning to feel like it in Nashville. Cooler breezes, rainy days, below 70 temperatures- fall is almost upon us. In fact, its exactly a week away.

I also realize that part of the reason why it feels different is because of the tough weather we have experienced in other parts of the country. My heart goes out to every single person who has experienced tragedy in the wake of these horrific hurricanes. I would encourage us all to seek ways we can give, pray, help.

I know that when all of our resources come together restoration can happen.

And when things are tough, when people are hurting, when I’m not sure what to say- my go-to response is food. Especially nourishing food- food that is restorative, healing, and helpful.

And this week’s recipe definitely fits that bill!

Nutritionally, cauliflower is a powerhouse. A part of the vegetable family that shares its grouping with collard greens, broccoli and kale, it’s edible florets are actually called “curd.”(So cheesy! Hah, kidding kidding) But it’s also naturally sweet and low-carb, and full of vitamin C AND omega-3 fatty acids. Plus it can be transformed to mimic the umami taste of meat! Which brings me to this week’s recipe…

I have become a huge fan of cauliflower as of late- this is my favorite cauliflower fried rice to make at home- and one of my go-to ways to make a healthy, inexpensive, filling dinner is to use cauliflower to make TACOS. Because who doesn’t like TACOS?! And tacos can be adjusted to suit everyone’s tastes. Gluten-free? Use corn tortillas. Dairy-free? Use avocado verde (like below) to add a creamy, spicy element to your wrap. The beauty of cauliflower is that it is a blank slate vegetable– full of endless applications in even your most traditional recipes.

So do your thing, butterbean– and wrap it in a tortilla:)

For the rest of September, we will be highlighting cauliflower, it’s possibilities in both sweet and savory dishes, and hopefully a slammin’ recipe round-up that will get your creative juices flowing! Also, I want to give a HUGE shout-out to Birmingham magazine for featuring these next two recipes in their September issue.

So cozy up you guys- change is in the air, and so is the smell of gochujang, garlic, and cauliflower.

Korean Cauliflower Tacos with Creamy Napa Cabbage Slaw

This recipe highlights the versatility of cauliflower, and showcases the Korean chili paste gochujang. Cut into small florets, cauliflower’s shape mimics that of traditional ground meat, and the addition of soy sauce, sesame oil and gochujang bring out the sweetness, and nuttiness, of the vegetable. Top with the creamy Asian slaw and avocado verde for a spicy vegetarian meal. Also, check out Birmingham magazine for this recipe in print!

Yield: 4 tacos

What You Will Need:

3 cups cauliflower (about 13 ounces)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tsp ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tablespoon gochujang
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp coconut sugar
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp white pepper
Whole wheat tortillas, for serving **or corn, if gluten-free**

What You Will Do:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a rimmed, light metal baking sheet with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together sesame oil and the rest of the ingredients (excluding cauliflower and tortillas).
Add florets and toss to coat.
Put cauliflower, evenly spaced, on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, stir; bake 10 minutes more.
Serve cauliflower in whole wheat tortillas with slaw.

Creamy Napa Cabbage Slaw

This Asian-inspired slaw is delicious atop cauliflower tacos, but it can also double as a creative, spicy vegetarian accompaniment to smoked meat at your end-of-summer barbecues. Top with black sesame seeds and sliced avocado if serving as a side.

Yield: 6-10 servings

What You Will Need:

8 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 carrot, finely grated, about 1/4 cup
1 tablespoon jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
3 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise (or vegan mayonnaise)
1 tsp gochujang
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
½ tsp rice vinegar
Black sesame seeds or black gomasio, for topping
Store bought avocado verde, for topping (or simply stir together guacamole and green salsa)

Method

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, gochujang, honey, onion powder, and salt until combined. Add Napa cabbage, carrot, and jalapeno and toss to coat. Taste; season with additional salt if desired.
Put slaw on tacos and top with salsa verde and black sesame seeds, if desired.

Low Sugar Banana Blueberry Mini Baby Smash Cakes

You guys!!!

I could not be more excited about this post! Not only is it almost the weekend, it’s also the day I have the opportunity to share a recipe in PERSON, on the cooking stage with the Nashville Home Show!

As y’all know, once I get to talking and/or thinking about food, you can’t really get me to be quiet, so the fact that they have openly invited me to share my love of all things baked goods is the highlight of my week!

And as I was thinking about what to share, I immediately knew what recipe it would be. Y’all- in the history of Luv Cooks, this recipe is the most searched for, most sought after, most “I just came from Pinterest to check this out” one we’ve ever posted. And it all started with the original recipe here, with an incredibly cute baby named Pace, his birthday, and my friend (his precious momma’s) desire to feed him a special cake that wasn’t full of sugar. In fact, he hadn’t eaten processed sugar up until that point. Amazing, right?

Precious Pace eating cake! — The original baking inspiration, Pace Russell!

Baby-Smash-Cake-with-Blueberries- — And the original cake! Here is the original, full cake recipe post:)

And as you know, with every (first) birthday comes the opportunity to smash one’s cake into one’s mouth however one feels is appropriate.

Well, I knew that I had to share this recipe again, but maybe adjust it slightly to a more adult crowd. Because, let’s be real- its amazing for the birthday boy or girl to have a yummy, healthy cake- but what about everyone standing around watching them eat it?!

That’s why I took the original recipe (by Fit Mama Real Food) and adjusted it with some seasonal fall spices, and baked it into individual mini smash cakes. So we can all, if we choose, smash the cakes right into our faces, just like the little ones! Don’t mind if I do…

Low Sugar Banana Blueberry Smash Cakes with Vanilla Whipped Cream (Originally inspired by Fit Mama Real Food)

You can also click here for the original, tiered cake post!

This recipe is full of whole grains, healthy fats, and has NO refined sugar or sweeteners of any kind! It’s also egg-free and simple to prepare and make ahead; you can even top the cakes with whipped cream a day ahead and store them in the fridge. Feel free to try out other mix-in’s besides berries for your adult guests- I think chopped cherries, dried fruit, or chocolate chips would work great in this mini cake as well!

Yield: 16 mini cakes

What You Will Need for the cake:

2 scant cups mashed banana, or 4 large, ripe bananas
1/2 cup natural applesauce
3 tbsp coconut oil (melted), plus more for greasing cake pans
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oat flour (just grind rolled oats in a blender, then measure)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
6 ounces fresh blueberries

What You Will Do:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, stir together mashed banana, applesauce, coconut oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.
Whisk together flours, spices, baking soda and salt until combined.
Gently stir flour mixture into banana mixture until just combined. Avoid over mixing as that can make the batter tough.
Stir blueberries into batter.
Distribute batter by scant 1/4 cups into muffin tin. Reserve remaining batter for next batch of cakes.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick or sharp knife inserted into the cakes comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely at room temperature to set. Top with fresh whipped vanilla cream!

For the vanilla whipped cream:

What You Will Need:

4 ounces organic heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional fresh blueberries for topping (or melted peanut butter/chocolate/almond butter)

Once cooled, top the mini cakes with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh blueberries. I also ate them with melted peanut butter drizzled on top, and it was DIVINE!

Back to School Snack Ideas with Share Love Everywhere

Lovelies!

So today’s post is bit of a departure from our typical, intro-the-food then a recipe style. Don’t get me wrong, there will be recipes, but even more importantly, there will be LOVE SHARED.

You see, you have to meet my beautiful friend Ashley Reale of Love Everywhere. She has a gift for sharing love with people- “even perfect strangers,” like it says on Love Everywhere’s bio page. In fact, she has started a now worldwide movement to share handwritten notes of encouragement in the cleverest of places for people to find.

In fact, ALL of the photos on this post are from her Instagram account. Her amazing ambassadors take them and share the love!** You can follow her on IG here

She is a total entrepreneur and, to my LOVE, foodie!! As we say, people who love to eat are clearly the best people.

And because of our joint love of loving people WITH food, I recruited her to share with us (in the spirit of September and all things back to school) some of her best, most kid friendly, back to school snacks. And she does NOT disappoint!

Ashley’s snack recipes!

Cheesy Naan pizza

What you will need:

1 naan flatbread (she buys hers from Trader Joes)
1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheese (or vegan cheese, if you prefer)
Veggies your kids would like (spinach, corn, red peppers, etc.)

What You Will Do:

Preheat oven to 400.
Sprinkle veggies of choice over naan. Cover with shredded cheese (in Ashley’s world, the more cheese, the better!)
For a crispier naan, bake directly on oven rack for 10 minutes. For softer naan, place on baking sheet coated in cooking spray. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted.
Allow to cool for a few minutes, slice and enjoy!

Kid-Friendly Tortilla Chips and Salsa

What You Will Need:

1 bag, organic frozen sweet corn, thawed
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 cup diced, fresh pineapple
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
Organic corn chips, for serving

What You Will Do:

Stir together all ingredients in a medium sized bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with corn chips and enjoy!

Fresh Fruit or Veggie Kabobs (This is an AWESOME recipe to get kids involved in the assembly process!!)

What You Will Need:

Various fresh veggies, chopped or halved (cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, broccoli, etc.)
Various fresh fruit, if desired (like watermelon or pineapple)
Wooden or metal skewers
Salad dressing for dipping (ranch, balsamic, or even melted cheese)

What You Will Do:

Get creative! Style your fruits and veggies however you like- you could do all one color on one skewer (orange veggies, for instance) then all red fruit on another. Simply slide the halves on the skewer and dive in!

**And, if you guys are interested in becoming a Love Everywhere ambassador, just email Ashley at shareloveeverywhere@gmail.com.**

My Life-changing Leftovers Tip + Sweet Corn Pizza with Chorizo

It’s July, and I KNOW you have some leftover produce hanging around in your fridge that you don’t know what to do with.

Maybe it’s not even the whole vegetables! Maybe it’s the garlic skins you rubbed off while you were prepping that stir fry on Monday, or the onion skins that were peeled away for that summer tomato pie on Thursday. What do you do with those leftovers?

You BRING THE **FUN** BACK TO THOSE VEGGIES, that’s what! If it’s good enough for Justin Timberlake, then I think it’s great for us. This week I will share with you, my amazing readers, the #1 use-up-your-leftovers tip I EVER learned. As in, your life may not ever be the same and you will most likely feel about as accomplished as Alice Waters from here on out.

The broth bag!! I know, genius right? I first heard about this technique while listening to (hearts) Lynn Rosetto Casper on the Splendid Table, interviewing a brilliant 90-year old woman whose claim to life-long health revolved around bone broth. And her key to great bone broth was not letting all of your leftover veggie scraps go to waste, but instead stockpiling them in a freezer bag.

Food people are the BEST people.

But I also know that you have more than your leftover veggie scraps lying around- you probably also have TWO more things I normally cram into my refrigerator:

Hummus– Hummus is not only an amazing snack, but there are some super cool things you can do with it outside of pita chip dipping’! Hummus chicken, pasta sauce, VEGAN QUESO *all the hearts**

Leftover pickle juice– There are a myriad of things you can do with leftover pickle juice. From adding it to potato salad and marinating meats to simply throwing your leftover veggies straight into the brine to make your own version of pickles, get creative! This list of the 15 Ways To Use Leftover Pickles by Bon Appetit is super-inspiring.

And of course, since this month’s focus is corn, so I’m pumped to share this awesome spicy corn and chorizo pizza we shot for Birmingham magazine. Pizza is a PERFECT vehicle for leftover summer produce!

So this weekend, let’s relax, make an easy bowl of hummus pasta, and throw whatever leftover veggies you have in pickle juice or the broth bag. Like 90-year-old Louise Hay says in her book Loving Yourself to Great Health, “Your body will love you for continuing to nourish it in this manner!”

Sweet Corn Pizza with Monterey Jack and Chorizo

This corn pizza is perfect- and easy enough- for summertime! Just grab some fresh summer corn, spicy chorizo, and melty cheese and you are ready to create a hearty appetizer or fun main course. Try substituting the chorizo for ground beef or turkey with taco seasoning if good quality chorizo is hard to come by.

What You Will Need:

Yield: 1 pizza

1 pound ground chorizo
4 fresh ears sweet corn, shucked and kernels removed for cooking
1/2 cup diced Vidalia onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning
1 (13.9-ounce) can pizza crust
1 jalapeno, sliced
4 ounces Mexican blend shredded cheese
Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving
Hot sauce, for serving

What You Will Do

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium saute pan, cook chorizo over medium heat, breaking up large pieces with a spoon. Once cooked through, remove to plate.
Add corn kernels, onion, cumin, and taco seasoning to pan. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until onion softens and corn is crisp tender, about five minutes.
Remove corn mixture from heat.
Cover a large surface with parchment paper. On it, roll out pizza dough into a large circle.
Move dough to parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes.
Remove crust from oven, then top with cooked chorizo, corn/onion mixture, cheese, and sliced jalapenos.
Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted and crust is crispy, about 10 minutes more.
Top with cilantro leaves and serve immediately with hot sauce.

Inspiring Avocado Recipes + How To Pick The Best Avocados

MAJOR avocado inspiration about to head your way! Watch out, because huge avocados with pits could potentially take out your eyeballs.

I KID!

No, instead of dodging actual avocados, it’s time for this month’s recipe round up of all of the fantastic and delicious avocado recipes I found on the internet. And yes, my mouth did water as I was looking these up and I was overcome with avocado-inspired, voracious hunger.

And speaking of cooking with avocados, how do you actually pick out the best avocados? Check out this week’s video to learn some great tips and tricks (and watch Bigsby feign exhaustion):

Here we go, drumroll, THESE PEOPLE ARE AVOCADO BRILLIANT AKA MY FAVE AVOCADO RECIPES THIS MONTH!

Avocado Hummus by Cooking Classy Umm, tahini + avocado + chick peas = SUCCESS

Avocado Bacon and Eggs by Lil’ Luna Please someone make this for my breakfast tomorrow?

Honey Mustard Chicken, Avocado + Bacon Salad by Cafe Delights The dressing is also the marinade, GENIUS!

Cucumber and Avocado Sandwich by Two Peas & Their Pod Avocado + cucumber + sprouts + HERBED GOAT CHEESE OH MY GRACIOUS!

Paleo Chocolate Pudding by Wicked Spatula My husband can tell you that I can NOT get enough of avocado pudding and will eat every drop of it if you get close I promise I will stab you with. my spoon.

Avocado Coconut Truffles with Dark Chocolate by Wild Blend Umm, this chick is INCREDIBLE and her food brain is so, so smart. Well done Wonder Woman, well done.

Blueberry Avocado Muffins by Gimme Some Oven Genius!! Using avocado as the oil in these muffins totally ups the blueberry muffin game into the baking stratosphere. Genius! Wait, how many times have I said genius?

Avocado Salsa Verde by Joyful Healthy Eats This is one of my FAVORITE ways to eat avocado. Plus a homemade salsa verde oh my GEEZ LOUISE!

And finally, the Tuna Poke Bowl by bon appetit This is one of those recipes you see, your mouth waters, and you think “I’d be willing to spend $100 on tuna right now.” Then you look in your bank account and realize that yes, dreaming about avocados IS a positive, yet not so lucrative, past time.

Here’s to a weekend full of avocado-inspired joy and great food!

Much luv y’all– C

Avocado Food Styling Tips + Pimento and Queso Fresco Guacamole

Guacamole, inspired by pimento cheese! Food styling tips! Let’s do this!

Summer is a perfect time for guacamole. As I dip my salty, crispy tortilla chip into the creamy fabulousness that is fresh guac, I am transported to sunny beaches, tropical beverages, and (hopefully) a summer vacation.

This week’s recipe is also inspired by pimento cheese. That’s right, as a woman who grew up in the South, there was also NO WAY you could bypass the summer season without being offered either a pimento cheese sandwich with the crusts cut off at a baby and/or wedding shower; offered pimento cheese and Premium brand saltine crackers at the beach; or eaten right out of the jar with fresh tomatoes.

Jake and I shot this pimento and queso fresco guacamole for the May issue of Birmingham magazine, who we love. I was also super pumped to experiment with adding a Southern spin to a traditionally Mexican side dish. Plus, I’ll share with you food styling tips I’ve learned along the way, #praise!

How to style (and use) beautiful avocados:

Avocados have a tendency to brown super easily. Whether you are styling your avocado for Instagram (or your family picnic), try rubbing the surface of the fruit (that’s right, FRUIT!) with fresh lime juice. You can also use a product called Fruit Fresh

To pick out a great avocado, don’t look at color alone. My favorite tip for finding a ripe, perfect avocado is NOT to squeeze the fruit in your hand. Simply press the top and bottom of the guacamole in between in your forefinger and thumb. If the fruit has a slight give to it, and no visible bruises or soft spots on the exterior, it’s ready to go!

Buy more than you need. Whether you are making guacamole at home or photographing avocados, it’s almost impossible to pick them perfectly every time. I usually buy double the amount of what I need, and if you don’t end up using the extra avocado that day, just dice it up and pop it in a plastic bag in the freezer! Frozen avocado is brilliant in puddings, smoothies, etc.

Don’t slice your hand open! The best way to slice avocados involves two knives and these steps: A. Slice avocado in half using a very sharp chef’s knife. B. Gently twist avocado open. C. Strike pit with the blade of your chef’s knife (DONT USE A CERAMIC KNIFE HERE OR IT WILL SHATTER!) and, with the blade in the pit of the avocado, twist. Use a dry dish towel to remove the pit from the half. D. Use a paring knife to create even, clean slices in your pit-free halves. E. Use a large metal spoon to gently remove the avocado half from the fruit, scooping as close to the avocado flesh as possible. E. Place fruit on cutting board and fan those slices to your heart’s content! Drizzle with lime juice or Fruit Fresh to make it last and prevent browning.

And without further ado (and your newly acquired avocado SKILLZ) this week’s avocado recipe! Suggestions for serving: A refreshing tropical beverage and bright pink sunglasses in tow.

Pimento and Queso Fresco Guacamole

This recipe is perfect for a chill summer day, and comes together easily and quickly if you have ripe avocados! The hit of roasted green chilis adds extra depth. To store your guacamole to prevent browning, simply press plastic wrap into the surface of the guacamole. Ole!

Serves 6

3 ripe avocados, mashed
1 tablespoon roasted green hatch chiles
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lime, juiced
1/4 cup red onion, minced
2 tablespoons pimento, drained
3 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco, plus additional for topping
Sliced jalapenos, for topping
Corn tortilla chips, for serving

Stir avocado, chiles, salt, lime juice, red onion, pimento, and queso fresco together. Serve with tortilla chips and sprinkle with sliced jalapenos and crumbled queso fresco.

ALSO check out more fun avocado facts at this article I wrote for B’ham mag here!

Golden Milk Iced Coffee + Breakfast Tips with a Health Coach

BREAKFAST!!!

One of my favorite times of the day. Ever since I shouted “RISE AND SHINE!” to my college roommates as I ran out the door to hit up the cafeteria at 7 AM (yes, I was THAT person) my love for the first meal of the day runs DEEP.

Also, breakfast involves coffee, which I consider to be one of the most necessary food and/or beverage groups out there.

That’s why this week I decided to combine my love of breakfast + coffee + health benefits and show you guys how to make a bang-up golden milk iced coffee that could get you going and bless yo’ brain.

Now, what is golden milk? A super delicious, coconut-based milk laced with turmeric and black pepper said to have anti inflammatory and relaxation properties. It’s wonderfully rich, a bit spicy, a bit sweet, and just right for combining with coffee. Just like with our cheesy turmeric crackers post, combining turmeric with black pepper in golden milk, is a great way to unlock curcumin- which can aid in digestion and stabilizing blood sugar. Plus, this golden milk is simple, only slightly sweet, and made with dairy-free coconut milk. WIN!

I also realize that breakfast is WAYY more than coffee- and should be- because, after all, if you want to get that gold star MVP award at work you need to be on your game!! So I recruited my great friend Mallory Swain, of Mallory Swain Health Coaching, to hang out on my sofa and teach me her nutritious breakfast ways. Her number one tip? Make a smoothie!!

Also, you can find Mal’s first favorite smoothie recipe here. And her current fave recipe is linked on the YouTube video details!

So this weekend, sit back, relax, blend up a smoothie, check out Mallory’s website, and enjoy some Golden Milk iced coffee. You’ve earned it!

Golden Milk Iced Coffee

This recipe works best when your golden milk and coffee are hot! I like to make the golden milk ahead of time, keep it in the fridge, then heat it up for about a minute while I make my coffee. This golden milk recipe is a bit modified from Wellness Momma‘s version. Blend, add ice, enjoy!

What You Will Need

8 to 10 ounces fresh, hot coffee (I like the French press method)
1 13.5 ounce can organic coconut milk
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
Powdered stevia, to taste

What You Will Do

Combine coconut milk, oil, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne, ginger, and vanilla extract in blender until combined.
Heat mixture over medium heat until combined and coconut oil is melted.
Stir in honey until dissolved.
Remove from heat, pour into a jar, and allow to cool (or use immediately in coffee).
Pour coffee and desired amount of golden milk into blender. Blend on medium speed until combined. Taste; add stevia if needed.
Allow coffee to cool for a few minutes; pour over ice and enjoy!

Cheesy Whole Wheat Turmeric Crackers

Imagine this: you are in an exotic market in India. Color fills your vision as you scan the crowd; eager vendors call to you, and the smell of pungent spice quickly hits your breath. It’s exciting, and you eagerly anticipate tasting, seeing, and experiencing the flavor and energy that is all around you.

You walk towards an enthusiastic vendor, eyeing the mountains of brightly hued powders displayed in woven baskets in front of her. A bright orange one catches your eye, and you bend over to smell. It’s pungent and sweet, a bit peppery with a hint of citrus. You scoop a heaping spoonful into your bag, hand the salesman a few coins and head home to uncover it.

**********************************************************

As much as I want that story about India and an exotic spice market to be part of my actual life experience, for now we’ll chalk that up to food fantasy! But the appeal of turmeric is real. Ever since I first discovered the spice a few years ago while trying out a vegan queso dip recipe, I wanted to learn more- and figure out what was up with ALL the articles filling my news feed about it’s benefits.

As you can see in the video, while the pronunciation of turmeric- and circumin-threw me for a bit of a loop, the health benefits of turmeric really are AWESOME. It’s great for your brain, anti-free radical, and can be a preventative measure in your diet against diseases. But I needed help figuring out what to put it in. So….Let’s discuss what to cook with turmeric:

*Egg scrambles and frittatas: Superfood Fritatta

*Roasted veggies (especially root vegetables, cauliflower, and potatoes): Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric and Cumin

*Rice! Colorful Vegan Turmeric Rice

*Sauteed greens- like kale, collards and cabbage: Scrambled Tofu with Collards and Turmeric

*Soups: Golden Turmeric Chickpea Chicken Soup

*Smoothies Golden Milk Turmeric Smoothie

*Golden Milk! Just click here for Wellness Mama’s recipe:)

Also, one last fun fact: PEPPER activates turmeric! I learned to add about 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper to 1/4 cup ground turmeric. The pepper adds a bit of spice to the turmeric as well- YUM! Huge shout out to this article from the Kitchn about turmeric that helped make that list!

This week’s recipe features turmeric in a super fun way– cheesy whole wheat turmeric crackers!! I don’t know about y’all, but there are days when this thought- “Oh my gosh, CHEEZ-ITS!!” consumes my brain. Especially with a Coca-cola- yessssss, please.

But this recipe is EVEN tastier than a processed cheese cracker and has healthy turmeric, paprika and parmesan cheese, which we all know is a winning flavor combo in a baked cracker. Healthy snacking=WIN WIN WIN.

Alright! Let’s stir up that turmeric, and eat those health benefits my friends! Loving people with food and nutrition, yessss pleeeaseee!

Cheesy Turmeric Whole Wheat Crackers (Recipe from food52 with the substitution of whole wheat flour by me)

This easy, baked cracker is addictive (my husband and I downed a few bags of them all on our own!) Healthier than a traditional processed cheese cracker, these guys are not hard to make and bake up a bunch of squares! Plus you can add more cayenne if you are feeding a spice-friendly crowd.

Time: Probably about an hour!

Yield: LOTS of crackers! Enough to feed a small party of 8-10.

What You Will Need

1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (you can add more here for more kick!)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (you can buy this in bulk online or at your local healthy foods store)
3/4 teaspoon ground paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
Coarse salt, for sprinkling

What You Will Do

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, turmeric, cayenne, paprika, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder. Add the parmesan and pulse to combine.
With the machine running, add the cream in a steady stream, then pulse until the dough comes together in a ball.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface, then divide in half. Keep one half in the refrigerator while you work.
Roll the first half into a rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick. You can make the crackers thicker or thinner, depending on how crispy you want them. You’ll just need to keep an eye on the baking time and take them out as soon as they start to brown.
Using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter or sharp knife, slice the dough into small 1-inch squares. Transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet (you can transfer the dough first then cut them if that’s easier).
Whisk together the egg and water and lightly brush the egg wash over the tops of the crackers.
Poke holes in each cracker with a fork if you are feeling motivated; sprinkle with coarse salt, and bake for about 15 minutes, or until they start to brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool—they’ll crisp as they sit. Repeat with the second half of dough.
ENJOY the cheesy turmeric-y goodness!

Beluga lentils with Yogurt, Olive Oil and Oregano

Imagine you are on a really expensive yacht. Waves crash into the side of the perfectly white exterior as the sun shines down on your face. A breeze blows through your hair, and, a bit parched from the warmth, you reach for a glass of icy cold Champagne. A waiter passes by with a tray of shiny black caviar on a crispy crostini, topped with bright green herbs.**

**It should be noted, as part of this fantasy, you are all perfectly tan, just worked out with your personal trainer and your mascara is TOTALLY still on your face.

“I’ve never been a huge fan of caviar,” you think to yourself, “But I’ll give it a try.” The moment the crunch hits your lips you realize- this gleaming substance isn’t caviar at all! It has a much subtler flavor with a hit of spice and an olive oil richness. No pungent fish flavor-no gumminess- it’s just, well, nice.

Welcome to the world of beluga (as in caviar-esque) lentils! Known for their texture (as opposed to the creamier mouth feel of other lentils), these black lentils are perfect for appetizers and salads because of their heft. They also, when cooked correctly, have a shiny gleam to their exteriors, much the same as caviar (but for a whole lot less money).

That’s why this week we are all about some lentils!!

Fun Beluga Facts!

The best cooking ratio is 1/2 cup lentils (rinsed) to 2 cups filtered water.
Prep yo’ lentils! Rinse the lentils thoroughly (remove any weird looking bits that may have congregated bag), combine them with water, add salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30-40 minutes covered, with the top slightly askew to release steam.
Flavor these legumes in all kinds of ways! Try adding Asian spices, kombu (seaweed), salt + pepper at the beginning of the cooking process.

Keep tasting!! Once you reach the 30 minute mark, check to see if the lentils are done. They should have a bite but not leave a starchy aftertaste in your mouth. If they need more time, keep them simmering!
Finish the lentils by topping with yogurt (like our recipe), olive oil, herbs, etc.
Belugas also go great with fish! (Speaking of caviar…)

So, this week let’s break out our most luxurious of circumstances (for me, it’s my plastic pool in the back yard with our dog Bigsby) and umbrella cocktail, and enjoy the luxury that is belugas!

Beluga Lentils with Yogurt, Olive Oil and Oregano (Recipe modified a bit from Bon Appetit’s Spiced Black Lentils with Yogurt and Mint)

This recipe blew me away with it’s deliciousness! The amazing flavor you get from toasting the powdered spices and mustard seeds brings these flavors to life. I was so addicted to these lentils that I drove around eating them out of a plastic tub in my Prius.

Serves: 4-6 as a side

Time: 50-ish minutes

What You Will Need:

½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon whole mustard seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup black beluga lentils
3 cups (or more) low-sodium vegetable broth*
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
fresh oregano, for topping

Heat rimmed saute pan on medium heat. Add olive oil and spices; stir frequently, toasting for about one minute. This should smell pretty tasty!
Add onion and garlic and cook until just softened, stirring frequently again!
Add lentils and broth; bring to a boil, cover slightly, then reduce to low heat. Cook for 30 minutes, and taste to see how they are doing. Mine took about 50 minutes to reach the texture I liked.
Once done, add in the vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
Serve warm, topped with Greek yogurt, a drizzle of olive oil, and fresh oregano leaves. YUM!!!

*I realized that I labeled this recipe as vegetarian, but when I cooked these I used Trader Joe’s chicken stock. So you can do whatever you feel here!

Creamy Non-Dairy Broccoli Soup with Spicy Potato Croutons

Creamy broccoli soup with potato croutons!!

Brown rice flakes!!

Wait-in a soup?!

Y’all! Let me tell you about a new favorite pantry discovery: brown rice flakes.

Soups, smoothies, stews- these fabulous flakes add a nutty, creamy texture to almost anything! There are a BRILLIANT way to add a new flavor profile to your favorite foods, and have lots of vitamins and minerals (shout out to NIACIN!! This B vitamin helps lower cholesterol). Plus, speaking of lowering unhealthy cholesterol (this thought always awakens memories for me of Quaker oatmeal commercials while watching the Today show) you can ALSO make brown rice overnight “oats.”

That’s right, everyone out there who is stuck in a oatmeal rut now has NO excuse not to try these. I for one am vehemently raising my hand for seconds and sending a huge shout out to The Greedy Vegan for her beautiful overnight brown rice flakes with blueberries recipe!! Also, her discovery (that I share in my YouTube video below) about the ratio for those perfect overnight “oats” came at a great time:

But back to this week’s recipe! How did I discover my newfound love for these flakes? Cleaning out my pantry; and realizing that I had a brown rice flakes bag from Eden Foods with an awesome broccoli soup recipe on the back of the bag.

I love recipe development; it is one of my favorite types of work I do with food and food styling. Last year I was honored to do a bit of recipe development for a blog that featured their products, and had an extra bag. YES!

And in the spirit of all things informational and adhering to the Luv Cooks formula (Fun=Food), here are our FUN FLAKE FACTS!!!

Brown rice flakes***:

Are made from dehusking rice, which is flattened into flakes.
Can be fire-roasted (which our flakes are)
Can be eaten raw or cooked b/c it’s super digestible!
Are popular in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal (we are so exotic!!)
Adds creaminess to soups, stews, smoothies
Can be used in a 1:1 liquid to flakes ratio for overnight oats
Has Niacin (for lowering cholesterol) and magnesium (great for everyone!)

***(shout out to The Greedy Vegan and One Green Planet for their awesome brown rice flakes tips)

So get your easy, healthy, curry soup pot on and let’s get roasting!

Creamy Curried Broccoli Soup (inspired by the Eden Foods brown rice flakes bag!) with Spicy Potato Croutons

Serves 6

Cooking Time: About 35 minutes

Break out of your broccoli soup rut with this week’s recipe! It only takes about 30 minutes for the whole meal (plus leftovers) if you throw the potatoes in the oven BEFORE you start the soup! Fast, healthy, and featuring my new favorite ingredient, brown rice flakes. GET YOUR SPICE ON!!

For the soup:

What You Will Need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon roasted hatch chiles (if you don’t have hatch chilis, roasted jalapeños would work great)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon curry powder
12 ounces frozen broccoli
3 cups filtered water
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
3/4 cup brown rice flakes
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

What You Will Do:

Heat oil over medium heat; sauté sweet onion and hatch chilis for about 4 minutes, or until softened. Add sliced garlic and curry powder; cook for about 1 minute more.
Add broccoli, water, soy milk, brown rice flakes, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender and the soup has come together a bit.
You can either puree the soup in two batches in a blender to make it extra smooth; I like my soup a bit chunkier, so I followed Eden’s method and blended half of it, then stirred the blended half into the chunkier soup.
Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. ENJOY!!

For the Roasted Potato Croutons:

What You Will Need:

1 russet potato, washed and diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

What You Will Do:

Preheat oven to 425.
Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
Toss potatoes in olive oil, chili powder, and at least 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few pinches pepper. Spread evenly onto baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes; stir; bake for 15 minutes more, or until nice and crispy.
Top on warm soup and enjoy!!