This blackeyed peas and collard green recipe is vegan soul food at it’s finest plus a little Afro-Caribbean to match. Both the greens and blackeyed peas are cooked in a tasty curry sauce and then paired with fonio grain. This dish will smell up the kitchen with an unbelievable aroma and it delivers on taste. …
Plant-Based
Grilled okra, a delightful side dish, offers a perfect blend of smoky char and crisp texture. With minimal effort, this simple recipe transforms okra into a flavorful, delight that adds a tasty and unique element to any meal. Related Okra posts: Fried okra might be the most popular way to enjoy okra in my house, …
This green onion and ginger vinaigrette is as versatile as it is tasty. Use it on your favorite salad, vegetable or meats as a unique, easy to make enhancer. Green onions are a sneaky ingredient as it adds flavor and a bit of crunch. The dressing is fresh and light, but packs a bit of …
Related Air Fryer Recipe Posts: Welcome to the world of crispy and flavorful air fryer broccolini! If you're a fan of this good and good for you vegetable, get ready to take your broccolini game to the next level and get perfectly cooked broccolini with that nicety crunch using the magic of your air fryer. …
Overnight oats made with coconut milk and cherries for easy, no fuss vegan oatmeal recipe that’s ready to help you get off to a great start to your day. All my days start with oats in some form, but primarily in a smoothie or with a nice bowl of oatmeal. If I start off right, …
Jumpstart your day with this refreshing and delicious raspberry smoothie. This smoothie has it all - tartness balanced with sweet honey and fragrant cinnamon, plus a little bit of heat and a lot of goodness. All combined deliver a great tasting smoothie. That cayenne is just enough to make you get up and stand up! …
Turn your next dinner into a flavor explosion with these jerk roasted onions — smoky, spicy, and caramelized to sweet perfection. Whether you’re serving them up at a backyard BBQ or a weeknight dinner, these oven roasted onions bring island heat and soulful depth to any plate. Well now, my brothers and sisters in flavor …
Kickoff your morning with this tasty, filling mango turmeric smoothie. This smoothie has mad flavor, goody goodness, and is kicked up with spices of life. You wanna start your day singing "Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da...." This is the drink for that. Smoothie Ingredients These ingredients …
Ensalada de Aguacate - an avocado salad that is the ultimate triple threat - flavor, easy, and fun. Just slice, mix, and serve this vegetable side dish. Cool, creamy, and citrus-bright—this Cuban salad slides onto the plate like a summer groove. This Cuban avocado salad, known simply as Ensalada de Aguacate, is proof that restraint …
My campaign to put okra on the map. I love okra. Okra is good for you. Okra tastes good. Eat more okra. If you don't know how, then read this post for recipes and cooking tips. Plus I'm sure you'll learn a bunch of cool facts about okra that I bet you never knew.
Smoked Whole Cauliflower That Steals the Show – Perfect for Sunday dinner or your next plant-based BBQ masterpiece Mmm-mmm, buckle up, my fellow flavor peeps, cause this smoked cauliflower is comin’ in hot like a soulful groove on a summer Sunday. We talking whole head, not cauliflower florets! It’s tender in the middle, crispy ‘round …
Purple potato fries, baked crisp and topped with a homemade seasoning mix for a flavorful version of one of the world’s most popular sides. Alright now, flavor seekers and late-night kitchen groovers, lean in close ‘cause we got somethin’ roasted, crispy, and deep-purple delicious just for you. Forget all about those “boring side dish” blues …
A Bold, Herb-Heavy Flavor Bomb That Is A Great Seasoning Base For Many Types of Dishes. Well now, cool cats and flavor peeps—lean in close, ‘cause I’m about to put you on to the heartbeat of Haitian kitchens: epis. This ain’t just no blend—it’s a mood, a movement, a Miles Davis “So What” kind of …
I've been reading the book On Vegetables lately and it has some great simple ways to enjoy vegetables such as this Daikon radish recipe which I tweaked just slightly. Just a few simple ingredients, little prep, and some easy cooking nets a beautifully delicious side dish. Musical Inspiration for Braised Daikon Radish Rapper/Singer Phonte released …
Quick and flavorful recipes for instant pot Brussel sprouts. Sprouts are braised in a coconut-based sauce for a great vegan side dish that’s as good as sprouts cooked with bacon or in butter. Five ingredients less than 30 minutes. I grew up a big Dragon Ball Z Fan; so many life lessons learned! Work hard …
This black rice recipe makes for a colorful side dish that is as delicious as it looks! The sweetness of the potatoes is balanced with the savory nutty flavor of the rice and the tartness from the pomegranate seeds and all work together for an incredible mouth experience. Often when I cook I take on …
Tender vegan braised collard greens cooked with aromatic spices, offering a flavorful twist on a classic Southern dish. Related Collard Greens Posts: Braised vegan collard greens recipe, a quick and tasty way to get a soul food staple on the weeknight menu! It's only 5 ingredients and made with ingredients you're likely to have on …
Collard greens are a weekly staple in our home. We have our traditional Sunday Dinner recipe that ain't changing. However, I do keep quite a few of what I call weeknight greens recipes. These are meant for us to explore the greatness of the humble but nutritious collard greens but within the context of our busy lives. So these are actually quick hitters. This curried collard greens recipe falls into this category. As its the norm, we explore cultures through food in an effort to become culturally aware as well deepen our empathy for others. Collard greens more than any other vegetable/food is most often the vessel for these explorations. Enjoy
Squash smoked on the grill until fork tender is a beautiful thing! Now listen my fellow soul food flavor this one’s comin’ straight from your guy's smoke and soul kitchen. We takin’ sweet butternut squash halves, givin’ ‘em low-and-slow smoke love ‘til they’re tender like a Sunday groove—about 90 minutes at 250°F, my friends. With …
Favorite to eat root vegetables is roasted. Roasting can turn any humble root vegetables into greatness. Baby turnips make the perfect foil for this technique. You get concentrated flavor and tenderness delived in 30 minutes. It's the glaze that actually puts the dish over the top. It's time to stop running from those root vegetables your grandparents tried to get you to eat. Actually these aren't your grand dad's turnips. They're way more flavorful.
Quick, simple, yet gourmet is this charred baby eggplant. Charring vegetables is a go-to move for getting quick, no fuss sides on the table that look and taste phenomenal. Try this dish with the frequently used harissa sauce.
Summertime is fun time. Grilling all things including watermelon is a favorite past time of mine. It's hard to describe grilled watermelon, but trust me it's simple and delicious. Give this one and try and impress family and friends
Grilled wedges are one of my favorite and easiest ways to enjoy sweet potatoes. The best thing about this recipe though is the perfect sweet heat chili lime sauce pairing. Just a few a few ingredients that net a lot of flavor. They go fast so make enough!
As you know I've designated July okra month. This is my favorite way to enjoy okra outside of a good pot of gumbo. It's quick, flavorful, and only requires a few ingredients. You'll want to keep the harissa sauce on hand and use it for other dishes as well.
Cool, crisp, and straight-up refreshing — this Japanese sunomono salad is your go-to side for summer dinners, sushi nights, or when the grill’s running hot and you need a little chill on the plate. Your flavor DJ here, spinning something cool for your plate and your palate — this ain’t your average cucumber salad, baby. …
Fun vibes with this Okra Fried Rice. It's a fusion of cultures that results in high flavor. The best part is it comes together easily for a quick weeknight dish. But it's also fancy enough to serve to guests at a weekend celebration.
A salad you can eat with your hands in the form of a watermelon wedge salad. Fresh, ripe watermelon is cut into wedges and topped with chimichurri style sauce featuring fresh mustard greens, cilantro, and lime juice.
One of my new favorite condiments/snacks. I avoided celery like the plague until I discovered that lemongrass and coconut water make for great pickling flavor. Stay tuned for recipes featuring them, but just know they taste great on their own.
Charred Asparagus may just be the perfect side. Less than 5 ingredients, Less than 10 minutes total cook time including prep, and backed by an ever so versatile and killer harissa sauce. Don't worry the sauce is not too spicy, as the honey and lemon juice tames the heat from the chili paste.
Quick Tapas Dish Fast! Shishito or Padron peppers are my go-to eat while cooking dish or tide me over appetizer or fancy party finger food.
Nothing like a quick and easy side dish with incredible complex flavor. This blanched spinach salad is simple, unique, and everyday! Put it on your weeknight menu in less than 10 minutes.
I'm having way too much fun with my new InstaPot. I'm still learning, but have been to churn out some good recipes, mostly traditional classics that I've converted for pressure cooking. This Southern classic black-eyed peas recipe is made vegan, so I had to do a little extra to replicate the smoke from what would have been smoked meat. I think I figured it out. I went deep into the classic rock vault for some inspiration. Enjoy.
A few years ago my family got invited to the premiere of the movie "The Hundred-Foot Journey," which is a movie produced by Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey about an Indian family seeking asylum in France. The son becomes a famous chef introducing the French to Indian spices and cooking techniques. I remember thinking at the time how similar Indian cooking was to "soul food" in terms of the use of spices and seasonings to take humble ingredients to extraordinary. I was reminded again during our Thanksgiving trip to Dubai when we ate a Masala based fried cabbage dish which was very similar to the southern fried cabbage I grew up. I bought a lot of spices from the local Souk including the garam masala I used in this dish. This dish tastes as great as it smells so be prepared.
I've probably had plank smoked fish 121 times and in all the years of perfecting my plank game, I never strayed from fish until recently. I guess you can say I was ready for a change. In the process I learned that what works for salmon and trout, also works for portobello mushrooms. Even better you can stuff them with things like couscous and simple, flavorful vegetables for easy, filling meatless Monday night. Or if you aren't ready for that much change, have your meat protein and make the stuffed portobellos as a side accompaniment.
Celery Root is definitely not the prettiest vegetable at the market, but what it lacks in good looks it more than compensates with inner beauty, dynamite taste and ease of prep/cooking. If you're not familiar with celery root or celeriac as it's known, it's beyond worthy of your consideration. This celery root steak recipe is a great introduction. We enjoy it in our house as one of our many meatless nights. It also presents well enough to be on your holiday menu. Don't worry it's tastes nothing like celery, is easier to handle than it looks, and is low calorie and low carb.
Smoky-sweet, velvet smooth, and dripping with soul—this roasted red pepper sauce is the kind of flavor that lingers like a good groove. Whether slathered over pasta, drizzled on grilled meats, or used as a dip, this sauce promises to be a game-changer in your kitchen, infusing every bite with a delectable fusion of savory warmth. …
A big green salad just in time for Thanksgiving side dish plans. It's a unique salad featuring an unlikely mix of ingredients that work magic together. Collard greens, baby lima beans, smashed cucumbers, and lemongrass-coconut pickled celery make for soul food meets Asian cuisine mash-up. Requires little cooking to free you up to focus on other things. The recipe is powered by a soulful hip hop track "Greeny Green" from Atlanta's finest Goodie Mob featuring Ceelo Green.
This vegan posole verde is a soulful twist on the Mexican classic, built around tender hominy, silky cabbage, and poblano peppers simmered in a vibrant green broth. Sauteing the poblanos deepens their earthy sweetness while cabbage adds a satisfying, almost silky texture that soaks up every herbaceous spoonful. Bright, smoky, and deeply comforting, it's a …
A vibrant, and refreshing main dish option that can be added to your 30 minute meals arsenal. Quinoa is easy to cook and requires little effort to impart flavor. Given this, it's a staple in our house as a busy weeknight go-to. Plus it offers so many other beneficial qualities that I recommend you get …
Raw Beet Salad A delicious and easy salad that takes little time to make and is the perfect side dish for the holidays or quick weeknight dinner. This raw beet salad looks and tastes fancy but is SUPER EASY to make. It comes together in minutes since no cooking is required. It's just beets, radishes, …