Dinner, Fall, Lunch, Main Dish, Savory, Sides, Summer, Vegetables, Vegetarian

charred corn polenta with herb + tomato salad

It is officially PSL season (pumpkin spice latte, in case you didn’t know), which means it should be time for all things pumpkin, right? While I adore pumpkin and pumpkin-flavored things, I have a hard time switching gears so rapidly from summer cheeseburgers and popsicles, directly to warm and hearty pumpkin-filled fall dishes without anything to bridge the gap between the seasons. In my neck … Continue reading charred corn polenta with herb + tomato salad

AmandaSeptember 20, 2015September 16, 2015Leave a comment

Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish, Sandwiches, Savory, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

national sandwich month: crunchy falafel pita sandwiches

AUGUST IS UPON US, WHICH MEANS NATIONAL SANDWICH MONTH IS HERE! I ABSOLUTELY ADORE SANDWICHES, AND WILL BE BRINGING YOU RECIPES FOR MANY DELICIOUS VERSIONS AS THE MONTH GOES ON. STICK AROUND, IT’S SANDWICH TIME! Everyone has those hometown restaurants that they miss, and one that I miss from back home was a little Greek quick-service place called Fronimo’s. There’s something about Greek fast food that … Continue reading national sandwich month: crunchy falafel pita sandwiches

AmandaAugust 16, 2015September 13, 2015Leave a comment

Dinner, Fall, Lunch, Main Dish, Sandwiches, Savory, Summer, Vegetables, Vegetarian

national sandwich month: sweet potato grilled cheese with ricotta + sage

August is upon us, which means National Sandwich Month is here! I absolutely adore sandwiches, and will be bringing you recipes for many delicious versions as the month goes on. Stick around, it’s sandwich time! There’s something so comforting to me about the combination of sweet potato, ricotta, and fresh sage. I first encountered this combo in the form of a pizza from one of my favorite … Continue reading national sandwich month: sweet potato grilled cheese with ricotta + sage

AmandaAugust 2, 2015September 13, 2015Leave a comment

Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish, Party Food, Savory, Soups, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Winter

cauliflower-tahini soup with paprika + lemon

You may remember my undying love for Pita Jungle‘s roasted cauliflower with tahini sauce dish? I pretty much order it every time I’m there, and I even made my own version at home so I can have it any time I want!

Recently on a day off, I was craving soup. I was also craving that roasted cauliflower, so I thought I could try my hand at combining the collective awesomeness of a good soup with that roasted cauliflower. Boom, this fantastic soup was born. I now win at life.

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AmandaDecember 10, 2014September 17, 2015Leave a comment

Dinner, Fall, Holidays, Main Dish, Party Food, Savory, Sides, Snacks, Vegetables, Vegetarian

sweet potato, sage + ricotta tart

Hooray, Thanksgiving is almost here!

For the most food-centric holiday around, I wanted to come up with a dish that wasn’t the usual green bean casserole or sweet potatoes with little marshmallows on top (though I do love both those dishes dearly!), but that still encompassed all the flavors and colors of Fall. I have to give props to one of my favorite Phoenix pizza joints, Federal Pizza, cause they came up with this flavor combination before I did, and I adore it!

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AmandaNovember 23, 2014September 13, 2015Leave a comment

Dinner, Fall, Main Dish, Savory, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Winter

creamy polenta with gouda, portobello mushrooms + tomatoes

When I first saw the dish that inspired today’s recipe, I couldn’t wait to make it myself. Kenji over at Serious Eats sure has a way with food! I’ve always loved creamy polenta, and the skirt steak on top with those pretty tomatoes just looked killer.

Go ahead and check out that photo. See what I mean? Doesn’t it just look amazing? I wanted to create it myself, but thought I’d do a vegetarian spin on it by substituting baby portobello mushrooms for the skirt steak. It makes a super hearty, rich and creamy dish for colder weather! Gouda in the polenta lends a nice, smoky quality and the seared mushrooms are the perfect alternative to meat, still keeping that savory and satisfying component to the finished dish. The bright and fresh tomatoes have the perfect acidic twang to cut through all the richness of the cheesy polenta. Make it yourself, I dare you! I know you’ll love it as much as I did.

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AmandaNovember 9, 2014September 13, 2015Leave a comment

Dinner, Lunch, Savory, Sides, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

golden roasted cauliflower with tahini + fried onions

This has been my most popular post for a while now! I revised this recipe recently to work out any potential kinks with the tahini sauce seizing up (if this has happened to you, I’m sorry). Scroll down to see the revisions in bold type! -A

If you’re not from Arizona (or southern California, for that matter), then you probably haven’t been to a lovely little restaurant called Pita Jungle. For the uninitiated, Pita Jungle serves all manner of Mediterranean-inspired dishes from cilantro-jalapeno hummus to chicken shawarma sandwiches wrapped in lavosh bread. It’s a veggie-heavy menu, and they also have a lot of items that can be modified to vegan, which is great for people like my vegan sister. My favorite item on the menu happens to be vegan as well, even if I’m not. (Hell, I had a double-double from In N Out for dinner last night.) It’s the caramelized cauliflower with tahini sauce, and it’s wonderful. Since the first time I tried it, I’ve been scheming how to recreate it at home, and I’m proud to say I’ve finally done it. Continue reading “golden roasted cauliflower with tahini + fried onions”

AmandaJune 22, 2014September 29, 201512 Comments

Dinner, Holidays, Lunch, Main Dish, Savory, Soups, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Winter

cauliflower + roasted garlic soup

Are there some recipes you just can’t get out of your head once you’ve made them? Dishes that you crave and can’t wait to make again? For me, this soup is one such recipe.

I first made it this past Thanksgiving as a starter for the whole giant meal. I had been looking for a somewhat light soup that was also fall-weather appropriate. When I found this creamy cauliflower soup from Martha Stewart, I knew my search had ended! How could cauliflower combined with wine, cream, roasted garlic and parmesan cheese NOT be downright amazing?

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AmandaFebruary 15, 2014September 13, 20154 Comments

Dessert, Dinner, Drinks, Frozen Treats, Fruit, Lunch, Main Dish, Meat, Salads, Savory, Snacks, Sweet, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

hello, 2014!

The beginning of a new year usually means people are throwing on their running shoes, buying gym memberships, and searching Pinterest for healthy new recipes. What am I doing? I’m daydreaming about how I can re-create a gorgeous cheesecake dessert that I ate during my NYE trip to Vegas. Clearly I’m not like most people. If you happen to fit into the former description rather … Continue reading hello, 2014!

AmandaJanuary 5, 2014November 9, 2014Leave a comment

Dinner, Fall, Holidays, Lunch, Main Dish, Savory, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Winter

perfect pumpkin lasagna

Let’s talk a little bit about pumpkin, shall we?

Pumpkin is good. It’s good in pie, it’s good in savory dishes, it’s good in soups, it’s even good in coffee as Starbucks would have you believe. Carving pumpkins is awesome, too.

How about pumpkin in lasagna? No, that’s not a typo. “But wait,” you say, “lasagna is supposed to have meat and tomatoes and lots of cheese! How can you fit pumpkin into all that?” Well, dear reader, I encourage you to branch out from your usual ideas of lasagna, cause this stuff is damn good.

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