Shiitake bacon is a thing. But honestly, Portobello bacon is way better– because portobellos are larger, meatier, and therefore able to stand up to the bacon-making and fig-wrapping process. This recipe is super simple, quick, and a great way to enjoy all those figs that are starting to ripen in your yard, or starting to pop up at the market. Read More
Squash Blossom Coconut Brown Rice
Every once in a while, I love to treat myself to a delicious sticky coconut brown rice dish. There are many variations that can explored, like this version using fresh squash blossoms from the garden. I actually created this by accident, when I had picked a bunch of squash blossoms with the intention of doing a stuffed squash blossom dish. But then, I got busy and forgot to make time to do the dish, and the squash blossoms no longer had the perfect constitution for stuffing. Read More
Beet, Avocado & Tomato Salad with Blood Orange & Fennel Pollen
I recently stumbled across a jar of wild crafted fennel pollen at Cookbook, a funky little grocery market near my house. They carry stuff like locally grown produce, kombu, and to my delight, fennel pollen! Fennel pollen is kind of magical because it can be sprinkled on a variety of things- salad, popcorn, grilled fish, vine ripened tomato slices, fresh fruit– and it gives whatever it’s sprinkled on a really awesome, unique taste. And Fennel pollen has therapeutic qualities too! For this recipe I tied it into a salad with a citrus dressing, just pulling from some seasonal stuff I had picked up at the Farmers Market.
Mexican Braised Tofu with Smoky Yams
This Mexican braised tofu, and braising tofu in general, is a great, fairly easy way to add some variety to otherwise bland and funkily textured traditional tofu. There are some key components to remember though, if you want your tofu to really absorb whatever flavors you are working with. This recipe explains how to effectively drain your tofu so it can better receive the flavors in the braising process. It’s a Mexican twist on combining tomato, sweet, and smoky all together.
Mediterranean Style Romanesco Cauliflower Tacos
Sometimes I just want my taco to look a little more dazzling. And Romanesco cauliflower definitely does the trick when it comes to dazzling a plate. These tacos are actually not much of a taco, being that they contain mostly Mediterranean flavors and components. But even though, the tortilla, albeit made of potatoes, is still a tortilla! So I’m calling them tacos anyway. Now that we got that out of the way, enjoy making this super simple, vegan, recipe!
Vegan Red Kuri Squash Pancakes
I took about a month off from the Whole Dish to work on some new year projects and get focused on 2018. And, to be honest, I really wanted to take some time to play around with aquafaba in the kitchen. And these red kuri squash pancakes are a pretty good start! I think the gluten-free flour makes them a tad chewy and dense, but I thought they came out delicious, especially with a little coconut butter or ghee melted over the top. They are delicious without much of anything added! You can go the sweeter breakfast or brunch route and add some maple syrup, fresh fruit, or dark chocolate almond butter (as pictured); or enjoy them as a savory appetizer, lunch or hors d’oeuvre with bruschetta salsa, avocado, guacamole, or some kind of tapenade. Aquafaba is basically the liquid byproduct of cooked beans, and a newly emerging vegan ingredient craze. To test the hype, I used some liquid directly from a can of garbanzo beans, and it worked delightfully well! These unique pancakes are best enjoyed right off the griddle!
Spinach Persimmon Salad with Chickpea Miso Dressing
I am such a lucky guy, because my neighbor gave me a nice bag of Fuyu persimmons! And I picked up a container of chickpea miso, all in the same week. I saw this as a cosmic directive to whip up this Spinach Persimmon Salad; a Japanese-inspired salad that will blend well with the traditional holiday table. Unlike their counterpart, the Hachiya persimmon, the Fuyu can be enjoyed in various stages of ripeness, making them a great addition to your holiday salad! You can easily tell them apart because Fuyus are shaped more like a tomato, while Hachiya persimmons are acorn–shaped. If you try to eat a Hachiya before it gets completely soft, you will be left with a mouthful of astringent icky. This recipe uses firm, crunchy-yet ripe Fuyu persimmons as the star ingredient.
Whole Roasted Butternut Squash with Tomatillo-Pepita Sauce & Pomegranate
My friend in Grand Junction Colorado gave me a few of her butternut squash when I was on a recent trip to her state. In addition to that, we had our own harvest of butternut squash here in Los Angeles. So, what to do with all that squash? Well, there is the typical soup, ravioli filling, and I even enchiladas. Or you can just do whole roasted butternut squash in a couple easy steps. This recipe could change the way you look at your butternut squash. So, move that butternut squash from being a table centerpiece to being your main course for dinner, or at least a side dish. It can also make a great Thanksgiving vegan entree, that in my opinion is way better, and less processed than Tofurkey or other vegan turkey substitutes. Because it isn’t meant to be anything like turkey. It just celebrates the squash, and makes it the star of the day. You can use this idea with any whole squash: delicata, pumpkin, you name it.Enjoy trying this out and let me know how you liked it in the comments.
Sunflower-Basil Hummus Soup
Have you ever wondered what your hummus would taste like heated with the pita chips crumbled on top? No? Okay, well maybe you aren’t as weird as I am. But now that I have you thinking about it, I’ll bet you’re curious, aren’t you? Well, here is a recipe for hummus soup that may help you satisfy that curiosity, and any appetite! The chickpeas and sunflower seed butter give this some nice, nutritious calorie density, making it a great cool evening dinner or lunch.
Stuffed Kabocha Squash with Buckwheat, Pistachios, Pears & Pomegranate
It’s October 1st, and therefore it is not too early to get the autumn flavors and smells going in the kitchen! Hell, if Macy’s can put out Christmas merchandise, then I can make a stuffed kabocha squash for dinner, okay?
There is a vendor at the Farmers Market who always has a humble variety of melons and squash, and this week some awesome looking kabocha squash appeared on their table. So I snatched a couple up and here is what I came up with.