Smashed Potatoes with Tapenade

This recipe comes from celebrity chef Francis Mallmann whom I’ve discovered thanks to Netflix Original Documentary Series “The Chef’s Table”.
He’s the Argentine god of fire and I’ve cooked a lot from his cookbooks Seven Fires and Mallmann on Fire.
And if it wasn’t for him, I never would have thought to put these two flavors together in all the world of combinations: On one side the tapenade so briny, savory, and aromatic, on the other the ever-so-mellow boiled potato.
Who would have thought that they’d be any good together?
Thankfully Chef Mallmann did and he had the fortitude to put it in his cookbook for me to find.

(Vegan) Creamy Chipotle Spaghetti

Okay seriously people, I can barely stand how delicious this is. It’s going to knock your socks off, roll them into a little ball, and return them to your sock drawer.
But it won’t blow your budget or your time, because you can make this in 15 minutes or less.
You in?
I love easy, quick, and delicious recipes that free up time for other things.
Having quick recipes you can get on the table in a snap is so helpful to anyone trying to juggle too many balls in the air. Which is pretty much everyone on earth nowadays. We are all so busy.

(I Can’t Believe It’s Meatless) Mushroom Lentil "Meatloaf"

I’m sorry guys for the long recipe title. I know that it’s annoying and I tried every which way to shorten it but I wanted it to describe the awesomeness of this dish, hence the long title.
But you see, when the process of perfecting a recipe takes time (a lot of time) and what normally takes a couple of days of testing ended up taking over a week to finally hit the mark, you want to showcase it in all its glory.
So there you have it: (I Can’t Believe It’s Meatless) Mushroom Lentil “Meatloaf”.
A title that requires parentheses and quotes.

(Vegan) Easy Coconut Green Curry Lentils

If you know anything about me, you know that I do love me a good curry lentil.
In my humble opinion lentils are perfect for curries: They pair perfectly with spices, help thicken the sauce, and cook down and get super soft and yummy.
I already have a couple of pretty awesome curry lentil recipes on this blog too. Including some spectacular red curry lentils, my worldwide famous red lentil and spinach tikka masala and a recent addition, the Crock-pot Thai curry lentils, that has quickly become a new favorite.

Mom's Chocolate Pudding

In my forced departure from chewable-food, I dusted-off some old recipes that I haven’t made in years and asked friends and family for their own recipes that don’t require heavy use of your jaws. Needless to say it, a large number of pudding recipes showed up in my inbox.
It’s funny that when somebody is in no condition to flex those cheek muscles to smile, let alone to chew food, pudding is the first thing that comes to mind.
Which hardly ever happens, pudding is not that popular. Seriously, when was the last time you had pudding? Or thought about pudding?

Creamy Banana Breakfast Smoothie

I got one wisdom teeth out yesterday. Ouch!
I’m still numb/sore and most of all irritated by the fact that I cannot eat solid food.
When you get a wisdom tooth pulled, the rule of thumb is to chew as little as possible, eat cold foods to soothe the mouth, and avoid seeds and hot spices (as they’ll irritate the wound).
In other words you can have smoothies, juices, and ice-cream during the first few days, and when the wound starts to heal you can start eating hot food such as soup, mashed potatoes, and other non-chewable things like hummus, applesauce, etc.
So, no solid food and no strenuous physical activity. Which begs the question: What the heck I am supposed to do then if I cannot eat and train?
I dunno, I dunno people

Minted Sweet Pea Hummus

Good morning guys, I hope that you all had a great week and that you're ready for the weekend.
Today I have a quick and delicious recipe for you guys.
Since I’m sure you already have these ingredients in your kitchen — because they are so basic/such a staple (at least in my pantry) — what about mix them all up and give yourself a treat? You interested?

Spring Pasta Salad with Pesto and Peas

For someone who is manifestly terrified of all the offerings in the salad bar pasta salad universe — the tri-colore, mayo-drenched, provolone-loaded, pepperoni-laden, dotted with green peppers, raisins and more often than not sugar-sweetened (oh the horror!) — I surely have some nerve presenting you with a pasta salad recipe.
Truth is, I spend an incredible amount of time trying to come up with cold pasta preparations I’d find satisfying.
So far, I’ve been lucky just once, with my kale pasta salad. And though I love it and it loves me back (though I’m not exactly sure how a recipe shows its love) I felt it was not enough.

(Gluten-Free) Lemon Polenta Cake

Now, I know what many of you are thinking.
Has he lost his mind? Polenta goes great with all kinds of meats and sauces what does it have to do in a cake?
Hold on a sec, and hear me out: Polenta makes for an excellent substitute for flour in cakes and in turn makes them naturally gluten-free.
Plus polenta gives an awesome yellow-sunshine color to cakes and also gives a wonderful texture.
Are you on board?
I thought so….

Zucchini Pizza Boats

Usually pizza is the first thing that gets tossed out of the window the moment somebody starts eating healthy.
That’s why there are so many healthier alternatives to pizza around. Such as cauliflower crust pizza, eggplant pizzas, quesadilla pizza or my all time favorite pizza sweet potato skins.
These Zucchini Pizza Boats are another gem that you absolutely need to try.
Fresh zucchini topped with olive oil, garlic, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and your fave toppings.
It makes for a perfect pizza without all the carbs and the calories.

(Vegan) Creamy Crock-Pot Eggplant and Zucchini Curry

Considering that my obsession with curry borders maniacal — I don’t mean to brag but there are so many curry recipes on this blog I can’t even count, including but not limited to, chicken tikka masala, chickpea tikka masala, sweet potato tikka masala, butter chicken, eggplant curry, coconut curry chicken, etc... — it should come as no surprise that today I have yet another recipe involving curry for you.

Zucchini Crust Grilled Cheese

Guys, today I made something awesome.
Awesome as in, literally awe-inspiring and awe-amazing.
But let’s start from the beginning. Almost three years ago I created what has become the most popular (and copied) recipe on this blog, my worldwide famous Cauliflower Crust Grilled Cheese.
A recipe that made headlines and sparked obsession around the entire globe. If you don’t believe me, read here
So today I decided the time was ripe to make something as incredible as my cauli crust grilled cheese.

Classic Black Bean Veggie Burger

Today I have a little awesome recipe for you that I love very much.
I always had a place in my heart for black beans burgers. I can’t really explain it. I often sneak one off my vegetarian friend during barbecues. If a restaurant claims to have a great black bean burger (such as the New York Burger Co. or Smashburger), I’d order one.
For me the true test of a burger joint is whether they can make a solid black bean burger.
I mean, anyone can make a good beef burger, but a black bean burger? That’s a whole different story.

Mock Tuna Salad

First off, I have to talk about how delicious this is.
Every time I eat this Mock Tuna Salad (as in “tuna”) I’m literally like “Oh yeah man, this is awesome!”
Though I love me a classic tuna fish sandwich — which has been my classic lunch choice for many years, especially in college — this vegetarian alternative is just as good (maybe even better?) and doesn’t make me miss the tangy, creamy lunchtime treat.

3-Ingredient Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Salmon

Today I have a new entry in the much-neglected seafood category on this blog.
It’s a known fact that I am almost fish-averse.
Sure, I’ve come around to salmon and tuna but for the most part my seafood appreciation level is pathetically low.
If you ever invite me out for sushi, I will never say no but don’t be surprised if I order only avocado sushi and cucumber sushi.
Raw fish is still a step too far for me. I mean I can eat it, of course, and I’ve done it many times but I don’t find any pleasure or satisfaction in it.

(Flourless) Chocolate Beet Cake with Chocolate Avocado Frosting

It was recently pointed out to me that this blog lacks cake recipes and the reason, I am sad to say, is that I don’t bake many cakes.
That is not to say that I don’t like baking cakes, I just don’t do it that often.
When a craving for cake strikes, usually mug cakes come to the rescue. Truth is, I surely don't need an entire cake laying around the house, with the risk of polishing the entire thing off.
If y’all know what I mean...

Broccoli Flatbread

I don’t mean to sound corny but this broccoli flatbread is MMM MMM GOOD.
Made with only 3 ingredients (if you don’t count salt and pepper), these Broccoli flatbread not only are super easy to whip up but are also incredibly yummy, super colorful, and since they’re made with broccoli (aka one of the healthiest vegetable there is) they’re also good for you.
Wanna hear more?
I bet you do.

Chef John's Meatless Meatballs

For me, the true test of any alternative meatless recipe is whether I would eat it again. Based on taste and texture alone, and not just because it’s meatless.
In this case, I would. Oh yeah man, I definitely would!
It’s not like I’m giving up real meatballs or anything, but trust me when I say that these are without a shred of doubt the most delicious vegetarian-friendly meatballs ever.

Easy Crock-Pot Bourbon Chicken

You know a recipe is a total winner when you make it year after year, you still love it like the first time, and you never get bored of it.
So you might ask why am I posting this Easy Crock-Pot Bourbon Chicken only today?
It’s a valid question. And the answer is: I don’t know.
Plus it’s like I’m under some legal obligation to share all of my recipes with you.
And say I invite you over for dinner and when it is time to eat I serve you chickpea tikka masala, lemon garlic chicken zoodles or cauliflower grilled cheese. You’ll be probably like “Uhm okay is that it? I know these recipes already…”
Which is precisely the reason why I need to keep some recipes secret.
Mmmkay?

Spinach-Mozzarella Stuffed Burgers

I know I'm not reinventing the wheel here. Stuffed hamburgers have been around since at least 1954 but it seems like they have been a bit of a trend the past few years.
Sometimes called inside-out burgers — because cheese and other traditional topping ingredients are folded inside the burger — stuffed burgers offer a surprising burst of flavor and some believe that the stuffing also helps keep the meat itself more moist and juicy.
The most notorious stuffed burger is, of course,  the Juicy Lucy: a cheeseburger that has the cheese inside the meat patty instead of on top, resulting in a melted core of cheese within the patty.