When you start referring to your fridge as “the cheese fridge,” it is both a sign that you’re living your best life, and that your diet could perhaps use a slight tune up. These past two weeks, Andrew and I have been eating our way through Paris, and as the previous statement suggests, it has been a deliciously hedonistic time thus far. After a whirlwind of baguettes, Bordier butter, squab (or pigeon, as it’s called here), wine, chocolates, pâté, macarons, steak tartare, and the aforementioned cheese, my body is practically shouting for a leafy-greens-heavy meal (or two).
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vegan
Spaghetti Squash Hash Browns
I’ll admit that I initially bookmarked this recipe for spaghetti squash hash browns from Pamela Ellgen’s The Microbiome Cookbook more out of skeptical curiosity than because I assumed they’d be good. Which is not to say I didn’t have some faith in their tastiness; so far, Ellgen hasn’t steered me wrong — her one-pan pork chops with grapes are a wonderful weeknight option, and the zucchini-based, bean-free hummus (also from this new release) is rather genius. Rather, my skepticism came from a shaky relationship with spaghetti squash.
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Spicy Candied Pecans
While on a recent trip to Boston, I paid a long-overdue visit to Flour Bakery, a spot I’ve wanted to check out for what feels like forever. Not surprisingly, Flour’s famed sticky buns were a winner; the tangy, almost-sourdough-like brioche base balanced out the ridiculously-gooey deep-dark-brown glaze that anchors the pecans to the buns. Seriously, don’t skip these. My other favorite was a bit less expected, an impulse purchase snatched up while waiting hungrily in line: a bag of spicy candied pecans, dubbed addictive by their packaging.
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Roasted Tomato Eggplant Soup
Take a peek into my freezer and alongside the popsicles, frozen fruit, parmesan rinds, shrimp, and sliced bread, you’ll typically find single servings of at least two varieties of homemade soup, ready to be thawed and simmered when hunger strikes. Admittedly, I’m a bit of a soup obsessive — my cookbook collection includes nearly a dozen single-subject titles devoted to it — but I don’t think you have to feel the way I do about bisques and potages to find this a winning dinnertime strategy. Soup freezes wonderfully, is easily defrosted and reheated, and, generally-speaking is a veggie-packed nutritional powerhouse.
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Black Bean, Tomato, and Avocado Bowl
Larger tomatoes like beefsteak, plum, and brandywine may not have hit their stride yet, but I can’t wait any longer to share this simple application of cherry tomatoes. Petite cherry and grape tomatoes like these Sungold and Sweet 100s ripen earlier, making them a great pick for those of us who can’t wait for tomato season any longer. A touch of heat amplifies their sweetness and softens their texture, making them an ideal compliment to a Mexican-inspired combination of seasoned black beans and buttery avocado.
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Szechuan-Style Green Beans
I’ve been wanting to share this recipe with you for weeks, but, as sometimes happens, life got in the way. Mostly, I’ve been putting in work on an exciting soon-to-be-launched project with Andrew. More on that soon(ish), and yes, it involves food. Additionally, after six months of squatting in Andrew’s dad’s SoHo apartment (thanks, Mark!), Andrew and I have decided to make our temporary move to NYC a little less temporary. The last month or so has been a whirlwind of apartment hunting — very excited about our new place in Williamsburg — figuring out how to move all of our worldly possessions cross-country, and getting our house in San Francisco ready to sell. Add to that my birthday, visits from a few close friends, plus two West-coast weddings, and it’s safe to say we’ve been pretty busy.
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Curry Cashews
As someone who eats a lot of beans, grains, lentils, and nuts, the bulk aisle is (not surprisingly) one of my favorite sections of the supermarket. Assuming your market’s bulk section has a good, healthy amount of turnover, it can be one of the best, least wasteful ways to stock up on everything from steel cut oats to red lentils, and, if you’re lucky enough to live near an excellent co-op like San Francisco’s Rainbow Grocery, loose-leaf tea, spices, alternative flours, and even kimchi.
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Roasted Red Onions With Thyme
It feels pretty ridiculous to say, but until relatively recent times (I’m talking the last year or so), I didn’t like onions in most applications. As a background note in soups and stock, sure; diced and lightly cooked, or worse, raw, hell no. Most people have an aversion to a few foods, but most people aren’t food writers, and most people don’t dislike such a fundamental ingredient. (What can I say, I’m an odd one.) So it feels a little funny to now be praising a recipe that has onions at its heart.
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Indian Red Lentil Soup With Spinach
I’d quite happily eat both soup and Indian food every day; combine the two, like with this recipe, and I’m over the moon. Complexly-spiced, this Indian red lentil soup is just the sort of thing I like to fill my fridge (and freezer) with, ready to be reheated for a quick meal when hunger strikes.
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Kale and Sweet Potato Soup With Cumin
In our pantry, you’ll pretty much always find a package or two of instant ramen stashed away. While it serves well as dinner in a pinch, especially when dressed up with a poached egg, sliced scallions, and sriracha, it’s really there for when either Andrew or I are sick with a cold. (Some might crave chicken noodle soup, but I prefer the sinus-clearing heat of instant ramen and other spicy soups.) Andrew recently had the flu, so our stockpile of instant ramen was raided. I only wish I had discovered this kale and sweet potato soup recipe before then, as ramen — while tasty — isn’t exactly the most nutritious option, and this would’ve been the perfect supplement to that.
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