spicy peanut mushroom kale rice bowl

If your weekend looked anything like mine (pizza, Chinese takeout, Tex-Mex... yeesh), this might be the perfect dinner for you tonight!

I've had this recipe pinned forever, and finally decided to try it last week. Holy smokes. This is SO good! We devoured this for dinner, and I ate the leftovers for breakfast and lunch the next day. And then I got really sad that I didn't have it for dinner all over again.

This will definitely be going into the regular rotation in our home, and I hope it will find it way into yours too!

*note: I made the kale salad component of this meal a day ahead of time to allow to flavors to absorb and the kale to soften a bit. Since I followed the recipe for the salad and dressing exactly, I've included the link for you to follow.

Spicy Peanut Mushroom Kale Rice Bowl (slightly adapted from Healthy Happy Life)
serves 4

you'll need:
4 cups cooked brown rice
4 cups Spicy Peanut Ginger Kale Salad
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced (I used cremini - use what you like!)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
for garnish: toasted sesame seeds (I used black and white for color!), chopped scallions

Prepare the kale salad according to the recipe above. As I mentioned, I did this a day ahead of time, but this isn't necessary.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms, onions, and a bit of salt and pepper. Saute until tender. Once the mushrooms have cooked down and the onion is translucent, add soy sauce. Add about 1 cup of the kale salad to the skillet and toss gently. Remove from heat and let sit.

To serve, top brown rice with a bit of kale salad, then the kale mushroom skillet mixture. Garnish with chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, and scallions. Grab a fork, and enjoy!

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easy vegan posole

The weather is finally starting to feel like fall here in Dallas, so let's make some soup!

My favorite soup is, hands down, posole. It's spicy, comforting, and oh so delicious. It traditionally includes pork, but when I saw this fabulous vegan version, I knew I had to give it a try. And not only was it easy peasy to make, it was also insanely flavorful and great!

This reheats like a dream, so it was perfect for us to enjoy for dinner and then take for lunch the next day. Definitely give this one a try!

Easy Vegan Posole (adapted from It's All Good)
serves 4

you'll need:
6 tomatillos, roughly chopped (papery layers and stems discarded)
1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and roughly chopped (or leave some seeds in for more heat)
olive oil
kosher salt
4 cups vegetable stock
3 sprigs cilantro
1 (28 oz.) can hominy, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, diced, for garnish
1 lime, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Toss the tomatillos, onions, and jalapenos in olive oil and a bit of salt on a sheet pan or large baking dish. Roast in the oven until they're just beginning to brown, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender along with 1 cup of stock and puree until completely smooth (be careful when blending hot ingredients!). Transfer the mixture to a large pot with the remaining stock, cilantro, and hominy. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt as necessary.

Remove the cilantro sprigs. Divide soup into bowls and garnish with avocado and lime juice. Enjoy!!

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vegan coconut muffins

Time for another Leftovers Club post! This month, I was paired with Joanne from Eats Well With Others, whose site is full of amazing recipes (how gorgeous is this strawberry-rhubarb tart?!). I was lucky enough to get some delicious rosemary shortbread from Joanne in the mail - be sure to pop over there for the recipe!

I sent Joanne these super easy, super yummy vegan coconut muffins. These are incredibly moist and tender (and seemed to get more so day after day). They make a perfect breakfast or snack for any time! And, unlike many vegan baking recipes, no fancy pants ingredients here - these are as simple as it gets!

Vegan Coconut Muffins
yields 12 muffins

you'll need:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 sugar (I used coconut sugar, but regular is fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup coconut oil (can substitute vegetable oil)
1 large banana, mashed
1/3 cup coconut milk (or any non-dairy milk you like)
1 tablespoon lime zest
1 cup flaked coconut, plus more for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 12 muffins cups or line with liners.

Mix together flours, sugars, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder. Add coconut oil, banana, coconut milk and stir until just combined. Fold in lime zest and flaked coconut.

Fill muffin cups about 3/4 of the way full and top with flaked coconut. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Muffins will keep up to a week well-covered. Enjoy!!

Check out all of the recipes from The Leftovers Club this month!

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japanese veggie pancakes {okonomiyaki}

Happy Sunday, friends! The past couple of weeks have been crazy busy wrapping up the school year, but I'm happily almost officially to summer break now!

It's tempting to simply order in every night when life gets busy, but I find that, for me, getting in the kitchen after a long day is almost a necessity if I'm going to really unwind from the day. Even if it means eating dinner a little later, spending just a bit of time chopping, measuring, and mixing is like therapy for me. On that kind of day, I generally stick with very familiar recipes, ones I've made so many times that it's almost like muscle memory (peanut noodles and enchiladas are a couple that fall into this category).

This recipe does not fall under the "muscle memory recipe" label, but when I spotted it on Smitten Kitchen a couple weeks ago, I knew that it must be made as soon as possible. And let me encourage you -- please do the same. Make them as soon as possible. Because we loved, loved, loved these. The crunchy veggies form the perfect little fritter, and the tangy sauce is just to die for. This gem of a recipe is destined for repeat on the busy weeknight rotation.

Japanese Veggie Pancakes {Okonomiyaki} (slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
makes 12 small pancakes (but make them as large or small as you like!)

for the pancakes, you'll need:
1/2 small head cabbage, thinly sliced (ends up to about 5 cups of shreds)
4 medium carrots, peeled into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
5 kale leaves, ribs removed and cut into thin strips
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup AP flour
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
Canola oil

for the sauce, you'll need:
1/4 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (Note: This recipe is vegetarian apart from this ingredient. For a vegetarian option, Annie's makes a vegan worcestershire sauce, or you can make your own at home.)
1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Mix cabbage, carrots, kale, almonds, scallions and salt together in a large bowl. Add flour and toss well until it lightly coats all the vegetables. Stir in the beaten eggs.

Heat a bit of canola oil (enough to coat the bottom) in a large skillet over medium high heat. To make the pancakes, use your hands to grab a bit, lightly form it into a loose ball, and add it to the skillet. Press down gently with a spatula to flatten only slightly. Add as many small pancakes as you like to the skillet to cook at once (I cooked 3 at a time). Cook each pancake about 3 minutes per side, or until the edges brown. Transfer cooked pancakes to a tray while you cook the remaining veggie mixture. (Note: If you'd like to keep them warm while you cook the rest and make the sauce, simply keep them on a tray in a 200 F oven for as long as you need to.)

To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and let simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, until thickened and smooth.

Serve pancakes with a bit of sauce drizzled on top and a sprinkling of scallions and almonds (or whatever you like!). Enjoy!

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fiesta quinoa bowl

Life right now... it's a little insane.

As a teacher, May is always the craziest month. It's full of programs, field trips, final tests and, of course, the anticipation of summer ahead.

It's easy, no fuss dishes like this one that help me out in May. This Mexican-inspired vegan dish is simple and delicious, and perfect for healthy lunches all week long.

Here's to feel-good food and powering through!

Fiesta Quinoa Bowl
serves 4

you'll need:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped small onion
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 seeded and chopped jalapeno
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
dash of cayenne
1 (15 oz.) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
for serving: lime wedges, cilantro, sliced jalapenos (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and spices. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until onions and peppers are softening. Add black beans, corn, quinoa, and vegetable broth and turn the heat up to high. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat to simmer. Cook uncovered until the broth is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked, about 20 minutes. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lime wedges, cilantro, and sliced jalapenos, and enjoy!

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crispy smashed potatoes

Welcome to my new favorite way to eat potatoes.

We made these for the first time for Easter dinner, when we were trying to decide what kind of potatoes we wanted to make... mashed, roasted, scalloped? I'd seen these on The Pioneer Woman forever ago, and had always wanted to try them, so it was decided.

And ohhhh my goodness. They were out of this world amazing! And so quick and easy! I also love how versatile they are. The ones pictured are simple, with just olive oil, salt, pepper and parsley, but I've made them since with a little parmesan and rosemary. I see jalapeños and cheddar in my future. Maybe with lemon zest and basil in the summer. All trashed up with cheese, bacon and chives? Yup, it's all happening.

Bottom line - if you haven't tried these, please do so as soon as possible. They are crispy and ADDICTIVE. You'll love 'em!

Crispy Smashed Potatoes (from The Pioneer Woman)
serves 6

you'll need:
12 new potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
salt and pepper to taste
chopped Italian parsley (or other herb of choice) to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once water is boiling, salt well. Add potatoes to the water and cook until fork tender. Ours took about 20 minutes, but check them at 15; time will vary depending on the size of your potatoes.

On a sheet pan, drizzle olive oil. Place potatoes on the sheet, leaving at least a couple of inches between each potato. With a potato masher, gentle press down on each potato until it mashes. Rotate 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato with more olive oil.

Generously season potatoes with salt and pepper. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown on top. Now try not to eat them all before they reach the dinner table.

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