Amanda is an all-around BABE with the coolest podcast, and also a super talented foodie who has worked in food media and has a tenderness in her heart towards all things cold brew. So I knew she would be the PERFECT person to try out all the crazy pumpkin spice things with me.
I’m not going to give too many tasty details (you can check out all of our videos on YouTube below) but I WILL tell you that we got into a pretty clear ranking system of these treats. DRUMROLLLL…..
Amanda and I’s Favorite Pumpkin Spice Snacks (from greatest to, umm, worst)
So my amazing Luv Cooks friends! There you have it- and you can check out all of our latest videos always on our YouTube channel here. If you haven’t subscribed yet, I’d love for you to!
Have I got a treat for you. This week’s post is SUPER SPECIAL because it features the incredible, hilarious, most joyful human being I know, Sarah Patton!! Sarah is the founder of Creative Souls Tribe, a tribe of women that exists as “a community that inspires, equips and challenges women to live above mediocrity.”
From social events to weekly encouraging blog posts to their first ever conference November 11, Creative Souls is a welcome respite for women who want to be the very best version of themselves AND value community over competition. Seriously, just check out their values on their About page for a healthy dose of inspiration!
I love this SO MUCH!
In honor of our recent LC focus on cauliflower, this week Sarah and I take on my crazy internet list of cauliflower recipes. Warning: be prepared to laugh uncontrollably over **cauliflower buns.**
AND for those recipes Sarah and I gave a 100% thumbs up to, here are those links below!!
Cauliflower Kedgeree by Fresh Planet Flavor **hint, it involves British Indian food**
Chocolate Cauliflower Cake with Salted Cinnamon Caramel Icing by Veggie Desserts
But y’all- I scoured the internet for this month’s recipe round up and was BLOWN AWAY by the creativity of all of these fabulous food bloggers below! Check out some of the most fun recipes I found:
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.**
It’s August! YESSS!! Cue all the back to school recipes! And pass the zucchini.
This fabulous month we delve into the world of zucchini, zucchini noodles, and everything that comes along with using zucchinis as this last month of summer begins.
Which also means that school is starting, and everybody I know needs quick and simple recipes to make the August days (and sometimes late nights) even easier!
I am soooo pumped about this week’s recipe for several reasons. One- the peanut dressing is DELICIOUS. Two- it features gochujang, my favorite spicy chili paste. Three- it’s gluten-free and low-carb, which of course means you can eat the entire bowl in one sitting.
And speaking of low-carb, for those of you who are super into the zucchini noodle trend, I found the BEST article about making zucchini noodles I’ve ever read here. Lisa is AMAZING and here are just a few of her tips that I utilized in this recipe:
Preferred tool: Mandoline I love my mandoline! To create the noodles for the Thai “pasta” salad below, I sliced a washed zucchini on the middle setting (I believe it was 2). The zucchini curled into pretty shapes this way! It also had a nice bite- the thinner pieces felt limp to me.
Cooking Method: Raw I liked this summery salad cold and raw. You can gently heat the noodles if you like (in a bowl in the microwave for a minute) but I vote on the raw method because the zucchini is able to maintain flavor and crunchiness really well that way.
Storage: In the fridge Lisa gives a great tip on her post about slicing the noodles ahead of time to make prep even easier, and storing them in the fridge in a covered container lined with a paper towel. Easy!
Thai Zucchini Noodle Salad with Peanut Cashew Dressing
This light salad is the epitome of summer ease, and takes advantage of all of the health benefits raw zucchini offers. Slice zucchini noodles and blend the peanut dressing ahead of time for even easier assembly. Fresh basil is the perfect topping for such a summery side dish. You can also find the full recipe on Birmingham magazine’s website:)
Yield: 6 to 8 servings For the Thai Peanut Cashew Salad Dressing:
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tsp fish sauce
1/4 cup cilantro leaves and stems
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons roasted whole cashews
1/2 tsp gochujang
What You Will Do:
Blend all ingredients in a blender on low speed until combined, then medium speed until a smooth puree forms.
Place in fridge to cool.
For the Thai Zucchini Noodle Salad:
10 ounces skin-on zucchini noodles
5 ounces thick sliced cucumber ribbons
2 ounces matchstick carrots
3 tablespoons chopped roasted cashews, plus more for topping
Fresh basil, leaves and torn pieces, for topping
Chili flake, for topping
What You Will Do:
Toss together zucchini noodles, cucumber ribbons, matchstick carrots, and cashews.
Pour peanut cashew dressing onto vegetables about 1⁄3 cup at a time, and toss to desired consistency.
Top with fresh basil, chili flake, and additional cashews if desired. Enjoy immediately!
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.
Hey WOW it’s July and WOH there is some heat happening in Tennessee!
I liken going outside to feeling like your tonsils are being strangled by a hot sauna while someone sets a steamy, hot cast iron skillet above your face.
It’s weird; but growing up in the South, oddly familiar.
And of course, I am doing all I can to stay inside near an air conditioner for the better three fourths of the day. I find that a run with our dog Bigsby in the morning also fulfills about 200% of my outdoor quotient for the week.
And because of my avoidance of anything outdoorsy until September, this also means that a lot of the recipes I’m cooking these days revolve around the things I have scrounged around from food shoots or indoor trips to the grocery store.
Like this delicious succotash Jake and I shot for Birmingham magazine this month. I am a complete sucker for corn and bacon, and this sweet corn version with bacon and sage is soooo good. As in, my mouth is watering thinking about it. Plus, you don’t even have to go outside to cook it! No grills! Just an indoor heat source and cast iron skillet to fry bacon is all you need.
And speaking of leftovers, this week’s video is ALL about what to do with leftover produce. As in, avocados, brown bananas, and sweet potatoes! PRAISE for getting creative and bringing FUN back to your leftoverzzzz (with a Z of course).
And as promised, the links I mentioned above for some creative leftover inspiration:
Frozen avocados: Just blend the avocado fruit with a bit of lemon in a food processor. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze! Can be thawed to use in salad dressing, guacamole, and smoothies! Just don’t eat by itself- it will be watery and not taste the same!
Sweet Potatoes: Stuff them! Bake them whole, doused in olive oil with a bit of sea salt and wrapped in aluminum foil, in a 450 oven for about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of your tater. Let cool for 15 minutes; slice open, and fill with: turkey pepperoni, cheese, marinara sauce, basil; or black beans, ground turkey, cheddar cheese, and salsa. Combos are endless! Put back in oven on baking sheet to melt cheese if desired.
And this week’s corn recipe! Which you can also find here!
Fresh Corn, Bacon and Sage Succotash
This easy breezy summer side is perfect for a hot day because you don’t have to go outside to cook ANYTHING and it’s just as tasty indoors with a glass of cold, cold iced tea. Serve with tortilla chips if you like:)
What You Will Need
3 slices center-cut bacon
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup sweet Vidalia onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp plus ¼ tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 ears fresh corn, shucked and kernels removed for cooking
1 15.25 ounce can lima beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 pint organic heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
What You Will Do
Cook three pieces bacon in a cast iron skillet on medium low heat until done and crispy; remove and drain on paper towels. Drain all but 1 tablespoon grease.
Add olive oil, sweet onion, garlic, chili powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; heat until onion is softened, three minutes.
Add corn and lima beans and cook 6 to 11 minutes on medium low heat, depending on how crunchy you like your corn. It should be crisp-tender and cooked through.
Allow corn mixture to cool. Chop bacon.
Stir in chopped bacon, sage, basil, ¼ tsp salt, and cherry tomatoes to corn mixture. Taste; season with more salt and pepper if desired.
Serve succotash immediately or store in the refrigerator.
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 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!
Fourth of July: one of the best food holidays of the year. A time where we get to celebrate not only the beauty of our country, but the beauty of the food it produces (#california). I consider it one of the best times of the year to celebrate our beloved avocado in all it’s forms.
And, I must give credit where credit is due- to our very own Mas Tacos in Nashville, who serves as the original inspiration for this recipe with their fried avocado tacos. Biting into the crispy, salty breading as your teeth sink into the soft, creamy avocado center is the height of deliciousness (well, next to their fried tilapia or chicken skillet tacos), as is really everything on the Mas Tacos menu.
But back to you, and me, and frying avocados. The primary method in cooking these avocado pieces well involves organization, moving quickly, and taking care to use ripe avocados. Too soft, and your avocados will fall apart a bit as they fry. Too firm, and you don’t want to eat them. How do you ensure their ripeness? Use your thumb and forefinger to gently squeeze the top and bottom of the avocado at the stem. If it gives in to gentle pressure, it should be good to go. Squeezing the outer flesh of the fruit isn’t a good indicator- sometimes the inside is bruised and may give a false sense of ripeness.
AND for more tips on keeping your sliced avocado fruit fresh, check out this video!
In review of these video and blog post tips:
To keep your slices fresh:
Dunk whole avocado halves in lemon water (a few tablespoons lemon juice stirred into a bowl of water).
Use Fruit Fresh (a fruit preservative you can find in the canning section of grocery stores).
Use a vacuum sealer!! I don’t personally own one of these but I think they are super awesome.
To fry these tacos with ease:
Be organized. Assemble all of your ingredients ahead of time, and make sure your breading bowls are ready to go once the oil is heated.
Move quickly. Watch the avocado slices as they fry; too long, and they will turn an unappealing dark, dark brown. Once they look golden and crisp, flip those slices!
Choose ripe avocados. Take some extra time to make sure your avocados are just right to fry (See tips above)!
Alright my loves!! Here’s to a Fourth of July weekend full of yummy food, fabulous friends, and feeding the ones you love.
Fried Avocado Tacos with Red Jalapeno Slaw (You can also check out the full post for Birmingham magazine here)
These easy summer tacos are a perfect way to highlight avocado’s creamy richness. You can even fry the avocado pieces ahead of time and gently warm in the oven at about 250 degrees before serving guests.
What You Will Need
3 ripe avocados, sliced
1 egg
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 cup whole grain, seeded bread crumbs, coarsely ground
4 cups canola oil
8 corn or flour tortillas, warmed
Red jalapeno slaw, for topping
Cilantro leaves, for topping
What You Will Do
Pour oil into large Dutch oven. Line a large plate with paper towels. Heat oil on medium until oil temperature reaches 350 degrees.
While the oil is heating, whisk egg and almond milk together and place in a shallow bowl.
Whisk flour, cumin, chili powder, paprika and coarse kosher salt and place in shallow bowl.
Pour breadcrumbs into another bowl.
Dip avocado slices, working in batches of two to three slices at a time, first in the flour mixture, then egg/milk mixture, then bread crumbs.
Carefully lower breaded slices into hot oil, and fry for about one minute, or until sides are nice and golden brown.
Set to drain on paper towel lined plate and top with additional salt to taste. Serve in warmed corn tortillas topped with red jalapeno slaw.
Red Jalapeno Slaw
This slaw is as simple as slicing up some cabbage then whipping together a quick dressing. Save half of the dressing as dip for the tacos!
What You Will Need
¼ cup olive oil mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin together
¼ teaspoon agave
1 cup green cabbage, shredded
1 cup purple cabbage, shredded
2 red jalapenos, sliced
What You Will Do
Combine mayonnaise, lime juice, cumin, and agave.
Toss half of dressing with cabbage and sliced jalapenos; use other half as a dip for tacos.
Glory hallelujah!! It’s summertime, and all I can think about is avocados. I want avocados on my tacos, in (last week’s) guacamole, in the tacos *spoiler alert* that will appear next week.
But I never thought I would want avocados in cupcakes. That is, until I came across Laura Lea Balanced and clicked on her “Desserts” tab. OH MY GEEZZ the creativity, beauty, and ingenuity of her healthy recipes are phenomenal! Strawberry shortcakes with coconut cashew cream, blueberry lime popsicles, Samoas macaroons, and… avocado cupcakes with chocolate orange buttercream. Brilliant.
I absolutely love Laura’s creativity and how she replaces the typical white sugar and butter found in most cupcakes (and most buttercream recipes) and utilizes avocado. These cupcakes have a fudge-chocolatey texture, but lack the saccharine sweetness of a typical chocolate cake. Plus they are full of nutrients, use spelt flour, and the non-dairy buttercream is so wildly addictive that I wanted to eat it on it’s own.
This week’s recipe is my own small twist on what Laura already developed; putting dark chocolate cocoa powder in the cupcake batter, substituting honey in the buttercream instead of maple syrup (since Jake and I never seem to have that on hand) and adding PBFit powdered peanut butter, plus chopped peanuts, to the top. So, ya’ll, these cupcakes are a MUST HAVE food adventure- especially if you love avocados.
This recipe requires a few specific ingredients (like fresh orange juice) but it’s worth the effort! I suggest making the icing ahead of time since it needs to sit for about two hours in the fridge. Plus, if you like orange zest, make sure and check out Laura’s original recipe!
What You Will Need:
1¼cupsspelt flour
2 tablespoons dark chocolate cocoa powder
¾cupcoconut sugar
¾teaspoonbaking soda
1/4 teaspoonsalt
1egg, beaten
1ripe banana,roughly chopped
½large ripe avocado,mashed
¼cupcoconut oil, melted
¼cupfreshly-squeezed orange juice
¼cupunsweetened vanilla almond milk
1teaspoonvanilla extract
Chocolate Peanut Avocado “Buttercream”
Salted roasted peanuts, chopped, for topping
Flaked sea salt, for topping
What You Will Do:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and spray a muffin tin with olive oil cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking soda and salt.
In a blender, combine egg, banana, avocado, coconut oil, orange juice, almond milk, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth and no chunks of avocado remain (a minute or two).
Add liquid ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and fold (or gently stir) to incorporate.
Scoop about ¼ cup batter into each muffin hole and bake for about 15 minutes, or until a sharp knife inserted into them comes out with no crumbs attached.
Let muffins cool completely in the pan, or after cooling for about 10 minutes, transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Once cool, ice with buttercream and top with chopped salted peanuts and flaked sea salt. Enjoy!
Chocolate Peanut Avocado “Buttercream”
What You Will Need:
1 ½ ripe avocados, lightly mashed
5 tablespoons honey
5tablespoons dark chocolate cocoa powder
1 tablespoon PBFit (powdered peanut butter)
What You Will Do:
In the bowl of a small food processor, blend avocado, honey, cocoa powder and PB fit until smooth.
Spoon icing out and place into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. Attempt to resist temptation to eat this once it’s cold!
