Sesame Ginger Peanut Sauce

A few weeks ago a local university emailed out that they were looking for families to host students for dinner. Aaron and I jumped on the chance to meet some new people looking for a home-cooked meal, and the experience did not disappoint. Our guests were a freshman from California and a graduate student from India and we had a wonderful time getting to know them. We did a make-your-own stir fry with separate components of rice, veggies, tofu, chicken, garnishes, and two sauces, one of them being this one. I generally love peanut-based sauces but the best thing about this sauce was that our Indian guest told us it was a lot like a sauce his mom makes. When he said "I'm tasting home right now," I almost melted. So whether or not this sauce tastes like home to you, I hope you find it tasty!

Sesame Ginger Peanut Sauce (makes 1 1/2 cups)

1/3 cup tahini

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 Tbls. fresh grated ginger

1 tsp. sesame oil

2 tsp. rice vinegar

1 Tbls. Bragg's liquid aminos/soy sauce/tamari

2 Tbls. mirin

1/4 cup water

1 Tbls. lime juice

Combine the tahini and peanut butter and microwave for 30 seconds. This will make it easier to combine the rest of the ingredients.

Whisk in the rest of the ingredients and use however you want. Refrigerate if not using using right away.

Maple Cherry Almond Overnight Oats

About a month ago my friend Ilana texted me this recipe for overnight oats. It was my first foray into this new food trend, despite my friend and co-worker Sarah trying to get me on the overnight oat bandwagon for a while, and I was instantly hooked. If you haven't tried them before, overnight oats "cook" by soaking in liquid overnight, and are eaten cold. They have since become my go-to breakfast, especially since mornings have recently become a lot busier in our house! No need to worry about Aaron stealing them as he doesn't like them, and affectionately refers to them as "left behind oats" and "forgotten oats." I also heard him once talking to our child and referring to them as "Mama's weird oats." At any rate, I made this version that's a bit more decadent and am excited to share it!

Maple Cherry Almond Overnight Oats (serves 1)

1/2 cup oats

1/3-1/2 cup non-dairy milk (depending on how juicy you like your oats)

2 Tbls. almond butter

2-3 Tbls. chopped toasted almonds

1-2 Tbls. pure maple syrup

1 cup fresh or frozen cherries, pitted

1 tsp. brown sugar

Heat the cherries and brown sugar over medium heat.

Keep stirring until they are reduced and syrupy, about 10 minutes.

Refrigerate overnight.

Meanwhile, combine the oats, milk, almond butter, and maple syrup.

Refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, layer 1/3 of the oat mixture, 1/3 of the cherry mixture, and 1/3 of the almonds. Enjoy!

Warm Winter Salad

Last weekend my friend Lauren and I had lunch at Le Pain Quotidien. If there's one near you I highly recommend it - their food is unbelievable, the ambiance is adorable, and they have plenty of vegan options, all of which are clearly marked on their menu. Win. One of their seasonal specials this winter is the Warm Winter Grain Bowl, which you can see on their menu, here (I subbed avocado for goat cheese). I loved it so much I re-created it for dinner that night, and included some vegan chicken (the menu suggests adding real bird). Despite having many components it's quite easy to whip together and it is SO GOOD. What an awesome and satisfying mix of textures and flavors. We shall be making this again soon.

Warm Winter Salad (serves 4)

1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup black rice
2 small-medium sweet potatoes
2 cups broccoli florets
3 leaves kale
1 cup packed arugula
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup dried cranberries*
1 package Beyond Meat grilled chicken strips (optional)
1 Tbls. Bragg's liquid aminos/soy sauce/tamari
1 Tbls. canola oil + more for cooking
1 avocado
Juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder

*The original at LPQ has pomegranate seeds. For me, they are hard to find and expensive but if you've got them, go for it

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Wash the potatoes and poke holes with a fork to vent. Microwave for 4-6 minutes, until they are soft enough to cut.

While the potatoes are microwaving:

1. Start cooking the quinoa and rice according the package directions. 
2. Toss the pumpkin seeds with the liquid aminos and 1 Tbls. canola oil. Spread on a small baking pan and roast in the oven, or toast if you have a countertop toaster oven. Watch them carefully throughout the rest of the cooking and take them out when they smell nice and toasty. Set aside.

Cut the potatoes into 1 inch chunks and toss in a large baking pan with canola oil. Bake for a few minutes while you chop the broccoli. Add the broccoli to the pan and put back in the oven.

Wash and stem the kale. Tear the leaves into large pieces and add to the pan with the potatoes and broccoli. Season liberally with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and put back in the oven.

While the veggies are on the last leg of cooking, it's time to get the finishing touches ready. If you are using the "chicken," start cooking it according to package directions. While it is cooking, make sure you have your arugula, cranberries, avocado, lemon juice, and olive oil ready.

Check on the veggies. Once the kale is cooked down, you are ready to eat! Assemble the bowls as follows:

1. Scoop a mound of the grains into each bowl
2. Top with veggies
3. 1/4 cup of arugula on top next
4. Then the chicken, if using
5. Top with diced avocado
6. Sprinkle 2 Tbls. each of the pumpkin seeds and cranberries
7. Dress with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper

Amazingness.

Kale, Tomato, and Cannellini Casserole

Happy new year! Hope everyone's 2016 is off to a good start.

So I'm in a neighborhood garage sale group on Facebook and someone posted the cookbook Vegan Casseroles for sale. I decided $5 was worth it for a cookbook full of comfort food recipes. They all look amazing and am excited to cook more of them when someone decides to start sleeping more than 45 minutes at a time and my meals don't consist of whatever I can scramble together and scarf down at the speed of light. Anyways, there was a similar casserole in the book and it inspired me to make this one. Super easy to throw together!

Kale, Tomato, and Cannellini Casserole (serves 4-6 as a side dish)

1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
2 packed cups chopped kale leaves (about 3 large leaves)
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Seasonings to your liking: Sea salt, black pepper, basil, oregano, parsley, onion powder, and garlic powder
Large splash of red wine vinegar
Large splash of canola oil
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 Tbls. parmesan sprinkles
2 Tbls. vegan butter

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Combine the veggies, beans, seasonings, vinegar, and oil in a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, and additional seasonings to your liking.

Spread the veggie mixture into a pan and top with the breadcrumbs. Cut the butter into small bits and sprinkle on top.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and broil so the top gets crispy.

Scoop into a bowl and eat!