These pesto zoodles (zucchini noodles) are the perfect low carb alternative to traditional spaghetti pasta. Not only is it delicious, but it’s super quick and easy. When it comes to greens being used in pestos, kale usually gets top billing. For this dish I chose collard greens instead, cause why not! Zoodles are formed using …
Vegetarian
Bold greens, bright crunch, dressed with respect. This vegan collard green salad has it all - looks, texture, and most importantly flavor. This is the perfect specialty salad for your next celebration or family Sunday dinner. The salad blends different fresh vegetables and fruit, and the vinaigrette helps bring out and balance the multiple flavors …
Easy gourmet side featuring just two ingredients. The best part is the citrus caramelizes making the dish like a 2 for 1 - side + dessert.
Golden, herb-forward, and perfectly seasoned—your new favorite Southern soul food side with global rhythm. They're so good they made our list of best blackeyed pea recipes. These black-eyed pea falafel cakes aka "Hush Puppies" take a New Year’s Day staple and flip it into something crispy, modern, and deeply rooted. Think hush puppy energy with …
Grilling vegetables should be a thing and grilled fennel should be at the top of the list. It’s a quick and easy action with flavor and texture. The beauty of grilled fennel is that it doesn’t require any other ingredients. The high heat minimizes the bitter licorice flavor while pulling out the sweetness. When paired …
These aren’t your grandmother’s pickled beets. These are roasted and then quickly pickled in a green onion and ginger vinaigrette. The beets are sliced thinly like beef carpaccio which speeds up the “pickling” process. MOOD MUSIC There was a time when I'd try and impress my grandmother by signing up for pickled beets as part …
A simple, but great cauliflower steak recipe in living color in the form of this purple cauliflower! Great for tapas night or as a hearty side. Thick cut cauliflower slices are seasoned and roasted then topped with a hearty and chunky salsa. I typically roast whole cauliflower heads, but was going more for an appetizer/tapas …
Rustic salad made with grilled butternut squash, fresh black kale, and nectarines topped with a garam masala and maple vinaigrette. The dressing is as good as the grilled butternut squash. It's got both heat and sweetness which pairs well with the smoky butternut squash slices. The nectarines add both texture and tartness. MOOD MUSIC …
Overnight oatmeal made with added fonio grain for extra protein and spiced with cinnamon and cardamom for an easy, but interesting early morning breakfast. Who says breakfast has to be boring. MOOD MUSIC overnight oatmeal ingredients how to make overnight oatmeal There are no real steps as this is a pretty simple cooking approach. Simply …
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. …
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 …
Definitely the best ever apple cinnamon oatmeal you’ll taste. It’s creamy, fragrant, and flavorful featuring old-fashioned oats cooked on the stovetop in an almond-milk and apple juice-based broth. This is first class oatmeal. The flavors scream fall, but it's all good, all year round. oatmeal ingredients how to cook oatmeal in fruit juice (step by …
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 peanut butter and jelly for a fun breakfast take on a classic sandwich. This peanut butter and jelly oatmeal will bring comfort and excitement to your morning breakfast. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were my go tos back in the day. My younger days were definitely on my mind when developing …
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 …
This air fryer Brussel sprouts recipe is the easiest and most delicious Brussel sprouts recipe you will ever make. Less than 5 ingredients prep and cooked in under 20 minutes. This is one of those recipes your guests will be asking you for the recipe. It has restaurant quality taste, but any average home cook …
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
Roasted Acorn Squash with Honey Ancho Chile Glaze are outstanding in both their taste and simplicity! Make this sweet and savory squash for your Thanksgiving meal, Sunday family gathering or even a weeknight dinner. They are naturally sweet but the glaze amplifies the flavor. Surprisingly I don't cook a lot most Thanksgivings. Between volunteering as …
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 …
This month's focus is on staple recipes from South American countries. I'm a big fan of yuca fries which are the Latin American version of French fries.
These roasted sweet potatoes are a lab recipe gone well. I was literally toying around with Thanksgiving sweet potatoes recipes and stumbled into this one. It's easy, quick, no fuss and damn good. Don't feel like you have to wait til the holidays though. Its perfect on plain old weeknights and weekends too.
Simple and delicious roasted eggplant recipe that is bursting with bold flavors. This dish features a crispy brown outside with a creamy sweet inside then is topped with a garlicky Cuban mojo sauce. Silky roasted eggplant meets bright, garlicky Cuban mojo in a dish that eats like comfort but dances like a block party. High-heat …
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
One of the best things about summer is the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables. And living in hot Texas you're always looking for ways to stay cool, get refreshed, etc. Cooking wise I'm trying to avoid turning on my stove as much as possible. This chilled soup "Gazpacho" addresses all these things. It's the soup equivalent of a nice cool summer breeze. The fact that it's a chilled peach soup that's spiced up and topped with charred kernels of corn just makes this next-level gazpacho. Don't worry, all you need is a blender and a few ingredients.
Fried chickpeas are fairly comomn these days. But fried black-eyed peas are much better. The recipe is simple and takes less than 20 minutes to make. Try these out.
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.