Golden Beet Hummus

This week I felt like I needed to step up my snack game. You know, do a better job of having easy, good-for-me things to grab between meals. Hummus is an obvious go-to, but I thought I'd take a swipe at making a version that is on the lighter side. Hummus often has a lot of tahini and added oil, and I wanted to see how I could rein it all in a bit and really amp it nutritionally as well. Billowy and smooth, this is a boosted hummus for everyday, all-day ;) enjoyment. Meaning, it's delicious without being overly indulgent, and it incorporates a number of favorite all-star ingredients - golden beets, turmeric, and legumes. Enjoy! -h

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Weeknight Ponzu Pasta

This one is for semi-lazy nights when you still want to get something vibrant and seasonal on the table. All things green in a quick, weeknight pasta option. It's feel-good food that won't weigh you down. The ponzu dressing comes together in a flash, boosted with a good dose of garlic and a thread of toasted sesame oil. The broccoli and green beans are cooked in the same water as the pasta, and everything gets tossed together in one big bowl to serve family style. The recipe is incredibly versatile - it is vegan as written, you can use GF pasta if that is a consideration, and there is very little added oil, if you're keeping an eye on that. It can adapt through the seasons - swap in asparagus/favas in spring, roasted cubes of winter squash or sweet potatoes later in the year. Enjoy! -h

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Lentil Polenta Casserole

More times than not you'll find some sort of leftover soup in my refrigerator. And, despite stovetop polenta being exponentially better, there is usually one of those ubiquitous tubes of polenta in the pantry as well. If you've got those two components, and you have five minutes, you can get a dinner like this in the oven. It's for those nights when an absolute minimum effort to get dinner on the table is where it's at. I like to use lentil soups (this one works particularly well), but the general idea is incredibly flexible.

I suspect some of you might ask about the stoneware casseroles pictured here. Love them! I picked mine up at SHED, but you can also find them at Herriott Grace, made by Workaday. Enjoy! -h

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Coconut Bacon BLT

A few times a year, usually in summer, I come across a photo of what looks like the perfect BLT sandwich. Hearty, vibrant heirloom tomatoes, succulent lettuce, crisped bacon, and a ribbon of mayo peeking out from perfectly toasted bread. It looks incredible. The trouble is, I don't eat bacon. So, I typically craft a sandwich that attempts to tick many of the same boxes, something along the lines of this sandwich (9 years ago!). Recipes evolve, and I thought I'd share the updated version I've been making lately - very similar concept adding a blend of coconut "bacon", and crumbled tempeh seasoned and baked alongside the coconut. You can make a large batch of this, and keep it in the freezer, for quick use. All in all, it's a legit alternative sandwich for your vegetarian and vegan friends, or just anyone interested in plant-based meals.

For a long time vegetarians and vegans tended to use tempeh in place of bacon, turning their BLTs (bacon-lettuce-tomato) into TLTs (tempeh-lettuce-tomato). But the shift in recent years tends to be toward coconut "bacon" - it crisps up better than tempeh slabs, is high in fat (so it really takes in any smoke flavors whether topically applied or actually smoked), and coconut is easy to source. Everyone loves coconut, while lots of people are still confused and generally apprehensive about tempeh. But I love tempeh, as a stand-alone ingredient for its flavor and texture, and also for its nutritional profile. So I make my coconut "bacon" and add a good amount of crumbled tempeh - a 50/50-ish mix. In my head the tempeh acts as bacon-y bits. The tempeh adds substance to the sandwich, and keeps you full longer.

For any of you weary about tempeh, it's worth giving a try. It's a ancient cultured, minimally processed, fermented soybean product with as much protein as beef. Joe Yonan wrote this article about it a couple of years back (with shoutouts to Amy Chaplin & James Oseland), a couple other favorite tempeh recipes: Vegan Tempeh Taco Salad, Orange Pan-glazed Tempeh, Maple-Grilled Tempeh.

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One Bowl Banana Bread

This is the recipe you want if you're craving classic banana bread flavor and texture, but want as little mess, drama, and equipment as possible. It's the laziest one bowl banana bread I know, still with big pay-off. The promise - no mixer, a single bowl, classic flavor, moist and tender crumb. If you have three ripe bananas on hand, chances are good you have the rest of the ingredients too.

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This is a straight-ahead banana bread, or as straight-forward as I get. I like my baked goods to have rustic wholesomeness to them, which is why you see a portion of whole wheat flour and brown sugar here. It makes your banana bread extra special and delicious (when compared to versions with white sugar and white flour). The recipe evolved to its current lazy-day state from this Melissa Clark gem. I skipped any add-ins for simplicity's sake here, and would recommend a banana-only first pass, but you can absolutely add ingredients like toasted nuts, chocolate chunks, citrus zests, herbs, toasted coconut, glazes, etc.

Also(!), if you like this, I'd be willing to bet you'll also like these banana-packed Buttermilk Berry Muffins.

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