Hey Laura, What...?

I feel kind of silly giving you this recipe, because it is so stinkin’ easy! But if your family doesn’t have any ties to South America like mine does, you may not be aware of this simple, versatile, and delicious food staple.

You can read a history of arepas on Wikipedia, if you like. I’ll just tell you that they are basically…corn flour pita pockets.

I’m sure millions of Colombians and Venezuelans are shaking their collective fist at me for describing their national dish so rudely. But hey, they’re made out of corn flour, and (at least in many places) split open and stuffed full of deliciousness. If they’re not split, then the toppings go on top, which is also like pita bread! So...

Haven’t we all had those nights where we’re scrambling for something to make for dinner and realize (about 4 hours too late) that freshly baked bread would nicely complement the soup bubbling on the stove?

I made these amazing little dinner rolls last night and knew I had to share the recipe. They take about 40 minutes from mixing to serving, so they’re perfect for the last-minute bread addition.

I adjusted the recipe I found to have less sugar and half whole wheat flour. I’m going to keep tinkering with it to try for all whole wheat, as that is what my family prefers. I made some rolls plain (as we love honey on ours!), and some with cheese and sage. I think these would be great at...

Anyone who knows me personally will attest that I’m pretty good at cooking. I don’t often need to follow a recipe to pull off a great tasting dish.

Veggie burgers are my Achilles Heel, though. I simply cannot get them right!

I ran across this Perfect Veggie Burger recipe from a new favorite food blog called Oh She Glows. I love her story, the focus on healthy whole foods, and these amazing burgers.

Try them; I bet you will love them too!

I’ve got a couple of my own recipe inventions lined up for you, but we are in the process of moving (I know: again!) and things are a bit wild over here in HLW-land. I’ll take a break from packing and logistics and toss up a great end-of-summer...

My nearly-5 year old has become increasingly sensitive to dairy again, over the past few months. I have no idea why, except that she is very sensitive in lots of areas right now, what with all the hormonal and developmental shifts that happen to little kids at this age. That her gut is responding to all the emotional upheaval does not surprise me; our bodies are very complex machines!

She is very sad that she can’t have dairy, so tonight for a treat I whipped up a batch of SusanV’s famous “Cheeze” sauce.

I wasn’t quite sure how it was going to go over. Miss Priss used to love nutritional yeast flakes (we call it “Orange Stuff” and she’d sprinkle it on everything!), but in the past year...

I adapted this recipe from the King Arthur Flour bag. It really is incredibly simple: you just mix up the dry ingredients, mix up the wet ingredients, and then stir and knead them together.

Don’t get intimidated by “how long” baking your own bread takes. Most of the time is hands-off rising time, so what bread really requires is forethought!

No Fail Whole Wheat Bread

6 c whole wheat flour
1 c AP flour
3/4 c flax seed meal
2 TB vital wheat gluten
2-3 TB millet seed
5 tsp instant yeast
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c honey (maple syrup is ok too)
2 2/3 c luke warm water

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl (I use my Pyrex 2-cup measuring pitcher), mix...

Laura’s Perfect Banana Bread

I made up this recipe last night in order to make a healthier version of the white-flour-brown-sugar recipe I had on hand. It’s delicious and totally worth turning on the oven on a hot afternoon!

2 1/2 c white whole wheat flour
1/2 c flax seed meal
1 c almond flour
2 tsp baking soda
Scant 1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c coconut oil, melted
1 1/2 c Sucanat
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs, beaten
10-12 overripe bananas, mashed or chopped up
1 c walnuts or pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9x5 loaf pans (I use coconut oil).

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, cream together coconut oil and...

I was toying around with the portmanteau name: “Copranot” for this little bundle of joy, but I was worried that it might confuse you.

I’m also worried that if you imagine yourself not an apricot or coconut fan, you might not try this bread, and you would be really missing out.

If you don’t trust my abilities to convert you to liking good things, I have another, non-apricot, non-coconut version of this up my sleeve which I will post later. :)

Without further ado, the very simple, very delicious…

Apricot-Coconut Brioche Roll

NOTE: This is for those of you, who, like me, do not always read the entire recipe before you set about cooking or baking on a deadline. This recipe calls for a...

I’ve been dealing with a pretty snotty attitude from my 4.5 year old daughter lately, and all the tools in my parenting toolbox have been ineffective in dealing with it so far.

The parenting philosophy we adhere to in my home is very deliberate. We aim for more than behavior control; we are shaping them all along into well-adjusted adults.

So, as much as I just want to stifle her; tell her not to speak at all on days when every other word that comes out of her mouth is rude and disrespectful, that’s not a good long term solution.

I need to train her into good habits of speech and conduct.

Some people believe this age is the foreshadowing of the teenage years, and then write off any...

With the weather warming up and the increasing desire to shed winter layers, I thought I’d remind you of the fantastic salad dressing recipes here on HLW.

“Crack” Salad Dressing - as in, totally addictive. A simple dijon vinaigrette that has me looking for excuses to eat salad.

Strawberry Balsamic Dressing - incidentally low fat, this is great for my Weight Watchers friends. Add crumbled feta, slices of pear or some craisins, and these Spicy Candied Nuts to really impress.

Roasted Red Pepper Dressing - also low fat, since it uses pureed red peppers to replace a lot of the oil. Nice if you aren’t into fruity dressings.

Healthier Asian Salad Dressing - great if you have a lot of random...

In honor of (US) “National Peanut Butter Day,” I want to share with you my favorite peanut butter-using recipe in the world: Magic Spicy Peanut Sauce.

I discovered this peanut sauce recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, Everyone Likes Sandwiches. She calls it “Magic Spicy Peanut Sauce” and it definitely lives up to its name. You will be wise to heed Kickpleat’s advice in the recipe: “Don’t use sparingly.”

Kickpleat’s Magic Spicy Peanut Sauce - how I make it
(adapted from: this recipe, which I always, always double - as shown here)
6 TB chunky natural peanut butter
1 tsp to 1 TB sriracha, depending on how hot you want it (caution: you can always add more later!)
juice of 1 lime
1 c...

Facebook-fan Jaime pointed out that January is National Soup Month here in the US, so I thought I’d help kickstart the celebrations with this lovely new soup I created last week.

If you’re busy like me, or not really a fan of cooking (but great at basic assemblage of food), you’ll love my Southwestern Chowder. It relies on boxed soup as a base, with simple additions that really turn it into something special. Serve it with greens and some cornbread muffins and you have a fantastic meal in about 30 minutes.

Can I tell you my dirty little kitchen secret? Shredded frozen hash brown potatoes (the kind that are just potatoes). Not only do I make hash browns (with loads of garlic and greens...

This is one of ways I boost my family’s immunity during cold and flu season. The garlic is a great anti-viral, and the heat from the red pepper flakes opens up the sinuses. It’s essentially Pasta Puttanesca without the anchovy paste. I never follow my recipe anymore; I just eyeball the amounts to make sure I have a good pasta to “sauce” (it’s not really saucy) ratio.

Hell’s Angel Hair

1 lb. Angel Hair pasta (although I tend to use whatever pasta I have on hand, gluten free works fine here as well)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small head of garlic, cloves peeled and sliced thinly
3 tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 tsp. oregano or basil (or to taste - also quite optional)
1 c crushed tomatoes...

Heather writes:

I have way too many recipes just jotted down on paper or that I’ve printed or been given, etc.  Do you know a great FREE method of storing them virtually?  It would make my life so much easier if I could catalog them somewhere and then stash the hard copies in the file cabinet or somewhere else in case of a server crash or something…

Someone has already done all the work for me! Go read this article on “The Five Best Free Online Recipe Organizer Websites!

While there are some really great looking options out there, the issue I have with the sites that are aimed at recipe storage specifically is that they require you to input your data in a very particular way. If you’ve...

If you’re looking for a simple Christmas-y cookie to take to the neighbors or a last-minute holiday party, this should be your go-to recipe. 

The candy cane cookies are good enough on their own, but one year I decided to get all fancy schmancy and I dipped them in melted dark chocolate. Nothing enhances the peppermint flavor like some rich chocolatey goodness. I’ll never go back!

Candy Cane Cookies
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. confectioner’s sugar (you know, powdered sugar)
1 egg
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1/2 c. crushed candy canes (put them in a ziploc bag and bang on them with the bottom of a glass - you don’t want powder,...

Michelle writes:

Preface:  I don’t know how to cook, I am not creative in the kitchen.  I need someone/something to tell me what to do and how to do it.  I can prepare food and am good at following directions :)

Planning dinner around my house can get stressful and often times leads to just going out to avoid the whole process - what do we have?  what do people want to eat?  what do I know how to cook?  what can be made in the next 5 min since I’ve put this off until 5:30/6 and now everyone is starving and cranky?! (okay, deep cleansing breath . . . )

I know meal planning is key to avoid the last minute panic, but I know I can’t do it on my own.  So, I am looking into meal planning help...

This is the Holy Grail of sandwiches. It is amazing. That is all.

Laura’s Crazy-Ass Sandwich
- one hoagie roll, hot dog bun, or in a pinch - two slices of bread (hoagie roll is best, but I made it on a plain English muffin once, too)
- 1/4th cup sauerkraut
- 1/4 cup cranberry relish (either chunky or smooth is fine - I think the smooth from the can is best; homemade might mess up the taste profile)
- 1 Morningstar Farms Griller, defrosted and best toasted in the toaster oven with your bread (NO substitutions. No real meat. Only this GMO goodness will do)
- 2 TB Vegenaise (real mayo might work, but please, for the love of all that is tasty, NOT MIRACLE WHIP!!!)
- 1 generous squirt of...

Kristina writes:

I’m not a vegetarian, although I was raised one so the idea of cooking meat myself terrifies me.  Tonight Tyler and I finally bought some chicken with which to make…something.  I’ve been looking at recipes, but it seems that most people expect that one will already know how to cook chicken.  In fact, a lot of recipes say something like, “saute chicken until it is cooked through.”  How does one know when it’s “cooked through?” Or if it’s baked, how does one know if it’s baked all the way?  I’m pretty (okay VERY) squeamish about working with raw meat, but I’m excited about expanding my cooking possibilities.

Since I received this question a while...

What is Chia Gel?

Use it to replace eggs and oils in baking.

A good overview of the health benefits and culinary uses of Chia gel (with gel recipe) here.

Links to recipe blogs that frequently use chia seeds and gel in their recipes. Chia gel is great in gluten free baking!

I make a simple pudding with Chia gel, honey/agave, and cocoa powder. My kid loves it.

Back when we lived in Nebraska and fed college students on a regular basis, I earned my renown as a Pizza Goddess. It’s true. Our babysitters would accept pizza instead of cash; it was that good. Now that I’m not gluten-free anymore, and now that the weather easily justifies turning the oven to 450 for an hour or so, I’m making pizza again. It’s still totally amazing pizza, folks.

So, I feel that I owe my devoted audience some insights into my craft.

Here’s my dough recipe. It’s really hard to screw up. I have no idea where I found it; it’s just in my recipe binder, written on a scrap of paper.

(Mostly) Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
2 c warm tap water
2 TB sugar
2 tsp yeast
1/4 c olive oil
3...

I’m almost back from vacation. Regular posting will resume on Tuesday. I’ve got a new giveaway coming up that you are not going to want to miss!

In the mean time, these are some excellent little cookies if you like some heat to your sweet.

Make them small; they are rich!

Mexican Chocolate Cookies
(Slightly adapted from Poco Cocoa)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Generous pinch of black pepper (I use about 1/4 tsp)
Generous pinch of cayenne pepper (again, 1/4 tsp)
1...

This is a recipe I made up, but it’s pretty similar to even more authentic sources like The Intuitive Cook (he’s Indian) and Pham Fatale (great blog, by the way, and lots of authentic Indian and Southeast Asian recipes!)

Chana, or Chole, Masala is a curried chickpea delight. This recipe could technically be called Chana Saag, since it has greens added to it (although Saag usually refers to spinach or mustard greens). Whatever you name it, call it delicious! It’s only of those “Ugly but Tasty” recipes - a hearty, warming stew for a chilly fall day.

Chana Masala with Kale
1/2 large onion, chopped finely
ghee, butter, or coconut oil
2-3 TB garam masala
1 TB yellow curry powder
2 tsp cumin...continue reading

We eat a lot of veggies at my house, and since we have neither a garden or chickens to eat my trimmings, a lot of vegetable matter goes to waste.

Last night as I was cutting and peeling for roasted veg, I had a brain wave: why not put my trimmings in a pot and make vegetable stock out of them?

After I took a picture, I realized the crockpot would be an even easier way to make stock, so I made the transfer and left it on low all night.

Here’s how someone else has done it. You can use meat trimmings, too, but you’ll probably want to cool and skim it before freezing.

“Nenek” is what we call my grandmother (it means grandmother in Malay; and she grew up as a missionary’s kid in Penang, Malaysia). This is (as family legend has it) the curry recipe that her nurse made for her and her sister when they were growing up, and the curry Nenek always made for me when I was growing up. It’s not very spicy, so it’s called a “Baby Curry.”

Nenek’s Curry

Saute in a large pot until very limp:
1/8-1/4 inch of oil (I like coconut oil)
3-5 chopped onions
6-8 halved garlic cloves

Stir in and fry for one minute while stirring:
1-2 TB yellow curry powder

Add and simmer, covered, for 3-4 hours:
6-8 cups chicken broth
1 large potato per serving (quartered)
(I...

Kristina writes:

Dear Laura, I’ve been wanting to make a great vegetable curry but it seems like all the recipes I’ve found have long lists of complicated ingredients.  I don’t mind if the recipe itself is complicated (or not, whatever), I just want one with ingredients that I can find.

There are lots of different types of curries, originating from the South Asian countries, but the two most commonly enjoyed in the US are Indian (typically an adulteration of both the Punjabi and Bengali styles) and Thai.

Here is an interesting list of many different curry powders from around the world. If you are going to buy curry powders, get good quality ones. I prefer Penzeys. If you’re lucky...

Becky writes:

Hey Laura,
My husband’s acupuncturist has been a godsend to him this summer as he’s dealt with some incredible post-heart surgery pain. Yesterday he told Lee that he should eat lots of congee and millet to help build back his energy. I’ve made both once or twice, but could use some ‘tried-and-true’ recipes to expand my repertoire. Do you have anything that could help?

For those of you who haven’t had this comfort food pleasure, congee is a simple rice porridge common in almost every Asian country. It’s a light yet hearty breakfast food, easy on the stomach for little ones and sickies, and all around a wonderful, healing food.

Well, Becky, until I got your email, I actually...

If you’ve ever seen little green tomatillos peeking out of their papery husks at the grocery store and have wondered what on earth to do with them, here are two recipes for excellent tomatillo salsa. I have no idea of the original source; my dad has been making these recipes every summer for as long as I can remember!

Tomatillo Salsa #1 (Raw)
Combine in blender (or food processor if you prefer texture) and whirl until smooth:
14 oz. tomatillos
1 small onion cut in pieces
2 cloves garlic
1 can (4 oz.) mild green chiles
1 tsp salt          
1/2 tsp sugar

Serve plain or add 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro.

This recipe freezes very well, so make a big batch when the tomatillos are...

I used to make chocolate “shaker” pudding from a Jell-o box when I was a kid. Then I became a lot more picky about what I put into my body. We don’t eat artificial flavorings and colors at home now. We actually don’t eat out of many boxes anymore, either. It’s just better that way.

This from-scratch chocolate pudding recipe doesn’t call for butter or eggs like many others do. It also makes use of the microwave, so a multi-tasking kitchen mama like me can make it without worrying about scorched milk.

Chocolate Pudding
(from Seasonal Ontario Food)
6 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot (I prefer arrowroot, personally)
pinch salt
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder (your pudding is...

For those of you who are unfamiliar, kimchi is a fermented vegetable “pickle” and a mainstay of the Korean diet. The lactobacilli found in fermented foods like kimchi, traditional sauerkraut, kefir, and yogurt are incredibly good for us. Kimchi is a great non-dairy way to get that friendly bacteria into our guts (so’s kombucha, by the way!).

Pretty much anyone who makes it has their own method, but I rounded up a few good ones for starters. As for spiciness, my understanding is that it just depends on the amount of chili paste or flakes that you use. Make sure you use gloves when handling hot pepper!!

Health Green Kitchen blog has a nice presentation of an original by Dr. Ben Kim. He’s...

Georgian Lentils
I call them this because my friend George, in Edinburgh, Scotland, taught me this recipe.

3 cups of French Green Lentils (aka: Puy Lentils - these are the ones that hold their shape when cooked. This recipe will not work with “soup lentils”)
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 cup diced sausage (any kind will do, even vegetarian types; I like whatever I use to have some herby spiciness to it)
Splash of white wine (optional, but optimal)
2 Tbs. butter - olive oil works just fine too
Salt & pepper to taste

Melt the butter or olive oil in a large heavy saucepan. Dump in the onions and sausage, splash in your wine. Let the onions get soft, then add some salt and pepper.

Add...

I’ve been making my own hummus from scratch for years now. There is no reason to pay upwards of $4.00 for a tiny plastic container of hummus when you can buy a can of garbanzos for less than a dollar.

A couple years ago, I came across a hummus recipe in Food&Wine magazine that is “Scratchier than scratch.”

It calls for dried beans, which you soak overnight and then boil with whole garlic cloves.

Since I make hummus a lot and soaking beans and boiling them takes forethought, I like to boil up a huge quantity of chickpeas and freeze them for later use. This way I can have the convenience of canned beans without the sodium or the 95 cent price tag. Dried beans are very inexpensive....

This is a wonderfully hearty and soul-warming dish. You can throw it together in about as much time as it takes to boil the noodles. As you may guess from the title, it may not be for delicate palates! ;)

Ginger Garlic Peanut Noodles

Asian noodles - Soba noodles make this a nice earthy dish (soba noodles are made from buckwheat and are gluten-free). Thai rice noodles work too, but tend to lose their shape. Plain old fettuccine or spaghetti noodles would work in a pinch, but if you’ve never tried the other kinds - branch out!
Peanuts - about 1 cup chopped finely
Garlic - 2-3 TBs. finely minced or grated (use more if you are so inclined!)
Ginger - 2-3 TBs. finely minced or grated (use more...

I love it when the weather starts cooling off enough to turn on the oven again! After a long summer of mostly raw salady things, I’m ready to eat my vegetables in a different form. Here is a great recipe that is so easy to tinker with to accommodate whatever you find at your late summer/fall farmers markets!

Roasted Veg
Wash (and otherwise prepare for consumption) and cut into bite-sized chunks any combination of the following (or whatever you have on hand):

potatoes
sweet potatoes or yams
carrots
bell pepper (any color)
yellow crookneck squashes
zucchini
kohlrabi
turnips
onions
eggplant (definitely peeled!)
peeled tomatoes (stick a clove of garlic into each half! Yum!)
lots and lots and...

Kristina asked:

Do you have a knock-your-socks-off basil pesto recipe?  I can make a pretty good batch, but I’m always open for improvement.  Also, is there a way to cut down on the oil?  Or should I not worry about it too much since it’s olive oil?

Okay, I confess: I am the world’s laziest pesto maker. I love the flavors of basil, garlic, and lemon so much that it doesn’t really matter to me if it’s the best recipe ever. I love it all! Since time is usually of the essence in my kitchen, I do what’s quickest and easiest:

I just toss whatever basil I’m lucky enough to have into my food processor (a huge no-no for the purists), add one or two garlic cloves, the juice of half a lemon...

Bread & Cup, our favorite restaurant in our old hometown, and possibly our favorite restaurant ever, once served this utterly transcendent summer pasta dish.

Make it. It will change your world.

Cherry Tomato and Walnut Pasta Sauce with Honey & Lime

Have you made The Pioneer Woman’s “Favorite Salad Ever. Ever, Ever, Ever.”? If not, you are seriously missing out.

What you are never missing out on with PW’s recipes is an overload of fat! Whether it’s obscene amounts of butter in her baking, or all the oil in this dressing, her recipes are much friendlier to the hips of cattle ranchers, who burn thousands of calories castrating calves all day. Blogging stay-at-home-moms like me can’t afford to eat like PW every day!

With that in mind, I set out to make an Asian-style dressing like PW’s that cuts the fat and retains the flavor. I think I’m pretty close with this one. It uses silken tofu in place of the 1/2 cup of olive oil called in the...

Take advantage of all the gorgeous farmers’ market produce this summer and put some up for winter. (Don’t you love the term “put up” when referring to bountiful food? Makes me feel so homesteadish.)

This is the super easy “Clausen-style” (ie: never heated) pickle recipe that my family uses. In my opinion, it produces the best tasting result and best of all, you don’t have to have any skill whatsoever to make your own delicious homemade pickles!

No-cook Dill Pickles
Boil:
3 Quarts Water
1 Quart Vinegar
1 Cup Salt

Cool overnight.

Scrub 5 pounds cucumbers. You can slice them now if you like, or pickle them whole. You can also pickle lots of other veggies! Don’t limit yourself to just...

This is a family favorite! I never look at the recipe anymore (although it is very nice!), and I tend to just add whatever veggies I need to use up. The lemon juice and parsley really make it a stand-out. This is one recipe where more garlic is not better - such a hard concept for me to grasp.

Since quinoa is a complete protein, this can really be a one-bowl meal. It’s quite filling and very satisfying!

Quinoa and Corn Medley
(From VeganChef.com)
6 cups water
3 cups quinoa, well rinsed
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup diced red pepper
1 cup diced orange pepper
1 TB olive oil
1 cup cut corn
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup green onions, sliced
1/2 cup black olives, sliced (if you have kitchen...

These “Spiced Holiday Nuts”, from Epicurious.com are delicious on a salad with goat or feta cheese and a balsamic dressing like my delicious, low fat strawberry balsamic dressing. I always make a double batch because everyone snacks on them while they are cooling! They don’t store well, so try to use them the same day.

Kristina writes:

Hey Laura!
My husband and I recently decided that we want to lower our food budget, without any loss to our health.  The problem is that it seems like cooking/eating healthfully is always so much more expensive.  Any tips or suggestions?

Then she ups the ante:

My husband will NOT eat leftovers that have to be refrigerated, so making something at the beginning of the week, and just reheating it several times throughout the week doesn’t work for us.

Before you judge, Kristina’s husband is a great guy who definitely pulls his own weight in the kitchen. He’s not just saddling Kristina with his gustatory whims unfairly; he does a lot of cooking himself!

Lowering your...

Here’s a great way to kill two meals with basically one cooking session. I developed this idea a long time ago, when our eating habits were pretty different - we don’t do cheese anymore, don’t rely on so many cans, and now we tend to use real meat instead of veggie meat! But you know, modify these ideas however they work for you!

Meal #1 - Fajitas
You will need:
1 tortilla for each person you’re feeding
1/8 cup cheese for each tortilla
1/2 cup spinach for each tortilla
1 green bell pepper per person (this is an estimate - just make sure you make too much for this meal - you WANT leftovers!)
2 red bell peppers per person
1/2 a medium onion per person
Olive oil (about 3 TB)
Salt (to taste)...continue reading

Quinoa is an awesome grain. It’s gluten free, a complete protein, and super easy to cook up in a rice cooker. It has a distinctive flavor when cooked that some people dislike. Toasting it before cooking really helps create a pleasant nuttiness instead.

This recipe is so simple and delicious; if you prep the other ingredients while the quinoa is cooking, you’re good to go in about 30 minutes!

Fruity Quinoa Salad
(Adapted from A Hint of Honey)
1 cup quinoa, toasted (in a dry skillet over high heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes)
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 tsp. salt + more to taste
freshly ground...

After my success with using pureed fruit in place of most of the oil in the Strawberry Balsamic Dressing, I started considering other applications. Some people don’t like fruity dressings (although I hear my strawberry balsamic has won over at least one naysayer!), so why not puree a vegetable instead?

This Roasted Red Pepper Dressing replaces most of the oil with pureed roasted peppers from a jar. It’s super easy to make and totally scrumptious. So far, we’ve enjoyed it on salads, noodles, nachos, and as a dip for chips or veggies.

Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
1 1/3 c pureed roasted sweet bell peppers from a jar (yellow is fine too, but won’t yield as striking a color) - roughly...

I invented this recipe when I was first pregnant and hungry all the time. (We dubbed them “Qwerty” Bars because my nerdy husband called our children QWERTY and ASDF, respectively, while they were in utero!) These little raw energy bars pack a punch! They are great after a workout or to tide you over between meals.

I never make the same batch twice. Use what you have on hand and like to eat; you’ll find yourself gravitating to a particular mix and that’s just fine!

Qwerty Bars (skeleton recipe)

Seeds/Nuts – Choose 2-3 cups:
Pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)
Sesame seeds
Sunflower seeds
Mixed nuts (peanuts, walnuts, cashews, macadamia and Brazil nuts)
Flax seeds
Hemp seeds

Grains –...

This recipe took me about a month to perfect, with lots of disasters along the way. But all my hard work paid off; these are the best!

I understand that some of you don’t like raisins in your cookies, or prefer oatmeal chocolate chip instead. If you choose to commit such sacrilege, feel free to leave a comment with what you did. Just don’t expect me to approve! ;)

Laura’s super-fantastic chewy oatmeal raisin cookies of delight
- 1/2 c. butter (coconut oil works for dairy-free cookies)
- 1/2 c. brown sugar
- 1/2 c. sucanat (unrefined cane sugar)
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
- 1 c. oatmeal (I used a combination of quick oats and old fashioned rolled oats)
- 1 tsp....

This recipe comes from my soul-sister-mama-friend Harmony. If you’ve never had Baba before, think “hummus” but with eggplant in place of the chickpeas. That’ll get you close.

I never refer to recipes for the things I make most often, so if you’ve had my Baba recently (like, in the last 2 years), it won’t taste exactly the same. But it’ll be good, I promise!

Baba Ganoush
1. Slice a large purple eggplant in half, lightly coat with olive oil and top with minced garlic or garlic powder (I always use garlic powder because I am lazy like that.)

2. Roast in oven @ 400 for 30-40 minutes, flesh side up, until ugly and roasted and wrinkly.

3. Scoop out flesh (actually, I never, ever do this...

Okay, I’m so sorry for leading you to the Dark Side here! White Flour? Refined sugar?? But really, these are amazing. And see? They have vegetables in them!

I haven’t risked modifying this recipe to make it less toxic, but if you do, and like the result, please post about it in the comments!

Chocolatey Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies
(I improved upon this recipe)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups Ghirardelli 70% chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets (I...

High summer is nearly upon us, and most of you (anyone who doesn’t live in the mountains) are about to get inundated with overgrown zucchini - either from your own gardens, or by the “Zucchini Fairy” ditching her excess on your front porches at night!

This recipe will make you rejoice to see zucchini in any shape or size. The big seedy ones work just fine, too, which is what makes it so fantastic! If you’re suspicious of a squashy dessert, rest assured that it is virtually indistinguishable from apple crisp. And don’t delude yourself - just because it involves a vegetable, it is not health food!

Zucchini Crisp
(passed down in my family; probably sourced on the internet somewhere)

...

Here is my hippie-food-kindred-spirit Marisa’s recipe for the best dijon vinaigrette I’ve ever tasted. We lovingly refer to it as “Crack Dressing” - not because of where you put it, but because it is just that good. This dressing makes me want to eat salad for every meal!

Marisa says [my comments are in brackets]:

Into the blender [I use my immersion blender] goes:
1 cup grapeseed oil or olive oil [why grapeseed oil? Because it doesn’t coagulate when it gets cold! It’s also a neutral-flavored oil with a high heat point. I love it!]
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar [I use Bragg’s - do use a high quality one, please!]
1 TB whole grain mustard or dijon type mustard
1-2 garlic cloves [I usually...

“D” writes:

Hey Laura,
My mom had hip replacement surgery and keeps getting an infection. She’s got an oozing infection on her leg and a UTI from the last round of antibiotics. I know you’re really into what else can be done in addition to antibiotics, and I thought I’d try to get some ideas from you—something my dad can make up for her, etc.

*** Disclaimer: Guess what! I’m not a doctor! Trust your instincts and the other qualified experts in your life. ***

Oh, what a bummer! My initial thought is that her immune system must be totally shot - the multiple rounds of antibiotics will do that. I’m a big advocate of probiotics; they can help replenish the good bacteria that the antibiotics...

I’d play around with The Pioneer Woman’s “Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.” recipe. I haven’t made it yet, but everyone I know who has totally raves about it. I think it is a good foundation for building your coconutty goodness.

Try swapping out the water for your porter. I looked up some other boozy chocolate cake recipes and they all use about a cup, so the ratio would probably be correct. If the coconut flavor is quite strong, try only using your porter for half the liquid; you don’t want your cake to taste like suntan lotion!

And remember, you can always bring me a slice for taste-testing. I’m an expert taste-tester!