nachos, baby!

do you make nachos at home when the craving hits you like a mack truck? 

cuz you should.

you beautiful little bean

what does your spice shelf (drawer, box, rack) look like? I believe that having a well-stocked variety of seasonings gets me one step closer to having dinner on the table. i won't take a picture of my spice rack because its a bit of a jumble and you don't need to see that, do you? what i will share with you is that i try to keep about 25 spices on hand at all times. all the spices you see on that cute little plate above (oh, home goods. why can't there be a home goods in chico?!), plus mustard seed, turmeric, curry powder, garam masala, chinese 5 spice, oregano, thyme...i know it's a lotta little bottles but i find it so useful to have them on-hand so i don't have to run to the store every time i need a "new" spice for a recipe.

now, let's talk beans.

vegan potato, chickpea + spinach vindaloooooo

this meal is a shortcut way to get dinner on the table in no time. there is zero shame in using pre-made sauces and if you shop right, they can be delicious and healthy. i found this vegan vindaloo sauce in the refrigerated section of my local hippie market and they also make a butter sauce and a tikka masala sauce. 

i also just like to say vin da looooooo, so there is that.

black beans with cumin, lime and cilantro

these tasty beans come together lickety-split and are an inexpensive, low-fat, high fiber vegan base to be used for...

 

burritos

tacos

nachos

huevos rancheros

taco salad

are you ready? this is so easy...

huevos rancheros

we just had this for dinner and i strongly urge you to make it and put it in permanent rotation on your meal list. it comes together quickly, consists of just a few ingredients that you are likely to usually have on hand and it hits the spot every time. i can't believe it took us so long to finally make it.

again, learn from my mistakes, people.

here's the recipe. make this. you can thank me later.

roasted acorn squash, kale and cannellini bean salad

whoooosh.

did you hear that?

the holidays are officially here. they swiftly swooped down upon us and have settled in for a while.

holiday parties, gingerbread men, lighting the menorah, hot chocolate with peppermint shnappes, egg nog spiked with bourbon, frying latkes, shopping until you d r o p.

with all the rich food, cocktails and general busy-ness that go hand in hand with the holidays, sometimes you just need to give your stomach and your soul a little break.

draw a tall glass of water (walk away from the bourbon) and cook yourself a delicious, healthy, hearty meal of a warm roasted acorn squash, kale and cannellini bean salad. add some shaved parm if you don't feel the need for it to be vegan...

turkey 2 bean chili

the weather has been hectic in these parts- 82 one day, then hail the size of quarters the next, then a day full of light showers and then another sunny 76 degree day. mother nature seems to be feeling fickle and hasn't quite made her mind up about which season she favors, but in my head, it is, undoubtedly, fall.

squash is exploding out of every stall at the farmer's market, the nights have a little chill to them and we had to drag the down comforter out of the linen closet and lay it upon our bed.

fall is here.

spiced indian chickpeas, naan and lemony garlic + mint yogurt sauce

these chickpeas were out of this world tasty. they are spiced up with lots of tantalizing and delicious spices like garam masala, cinnamon and cayenne and are feisty, flavorful and tangy if you add a squeeze of lemon at the end like i did. i also added some chopped up fresh cilantro at the end of cooking the chickpeas and that brought a nice, bright freshness to the dish.