Honey Glazed Roasted Carrots

In the grand scheme of food blogging things, a recipe for standard roasted carrots may honestly be not that relevant.
Boring, mushy cooked carrots that you can find alongside every winter roast. Ho-hum.
But wait a sec!
These are anything but. And they certainly deserve better than to be passive-aggressively labeled as mundane, dull roasted carrots.

California Chicken Avocado and Red Quinoa Bowls

In the never-ending cross-country rivalry, the West Coast wins hands down when it comes to the weather — because you know of all the sunshine and low humidity.
And though I love me a good old cold snowy winter, whenever I see on social media a “friend” grilling outdoors wearing shorts, a tee, and a pair of flip-flops in February/March, I realize that The Mamas & Papas were right all along when they were singing: “I'd be safe and warm If I was in L.A.”
Seriously people, I feel the desperate need to flee the rain, the cold, the darkness. I want some sun-induced warmth. I want to be outdoors. I want to barbecue something. Anything really.

TIY's 15 Most Popular Recipes

The Internet is a strange (but awesome) place.
I’ve been at this blogging thing now for over four years and I still don’t understand many things that happen on TheIronYou (i.e., my blog).
I feel like I’m starting to know you guys better and that I’m able to predict the kind of recipes you’d like to see on here.
So I really don’t understand why one recipe goes viral while another one — that I believe is just as awesome — doesn’t.
It’s a mystery that I won’t ever really comprehend. I just have to accept it for what it is: some recipes become popular, others don’t. That’s just the way it is.
Still, when the Internet speaks, my job is to listen.
So without further ado, here, in order, are TheIronYou’s 15 most popular recipes of all time.
Not surprisingly there’s a lot of cauliflower crust, some curries, a couple of casserole, and even a pudding.
From 1 to 15, here they are!

Almond Flour Coconut Sugar Cookies

I guess I consider myself not a cookie kind of guy.
Since I was a kid, while my sisters would all line up for the first batch of fresh cookies out of the oven, I couldn’t have cared less.
Sure, I would put up a pretty good fight for a second serving of vanilla ice-cream; but cookies? Nah.
Don’t get me wrong I appreciate an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie just as much as the next guy but I’m not one of those people that goes crazy over cookies.
Still, for someone who’s not a cookie-holic I have to admit that I have a fair amount of cookie recipes on my blog.
Nothing crazy, but still you would need more than one hand to add it all up: Chocolate chunk, almond butter, gingerbread, thumbprint, stick, hazelnut, and shortbread, just to name a few.

Garlicky Potato and Spinach Patties

Happy Friday guys!
Does anyone else need a can (or a 12-pack) of beer?
I definitely do. I dunno about you, but I did a lot of dumb things this week.
Starting from losing my debit card.
This was a new card, my second in a year.
Every time I lose a card (anything important really) I’m like "This is it! This is the last time! I will be responsible and awesome from this day forward."
And, well, you know how that story ends...

(Vegan) Easy Chickpea Tikka Masala

I had a group of friends over for dinner on Saturday night. One of the guests was vegan, which I actually love because it’s always a bit of a challenge.
As I was planning the menu, I knew right away I wanted to make my super delicious Easy Pumpkin Masala that wins rave reviews and sometimes even a standing ovation (seriously, I am not kidding!)
I also wanted to make some tikka masala. But I couldn’t make my award-winning chicken tikka masala. Because, you know, chicken and THEN the gravy (made with yogurt or cream) - so yeah, not vegan at all.
But then I thought that it’s such a shame that vegans miss out on something delicious like tikka masala.
So I got down to it and made this delicious and vegan Easy Chickpea Tikka Masala.
Chicken is replaced with chickpeas (the meatiest legume ever) and coconut milk is used instead of heavy cream.

Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas with Kale Pesto

You guys probably don’t need a recipe for quesadillas.
A quesadilla — just like a grilled cheese — requires few ingredients and basic cooking technique.
Chances are, you probably already know how to make it without measuring out any ingredients.
Step one: Tortilla + cheese + stuff you like + a bit more of cheese + another tortilla.
Step two: griddle in butter.
Step three: wait, there’s no step three.
The only tricky part is flipping the quesadilla without it falling apart.
How many times have you tried to flip it over to cook on the other side and all the filling came out?
A hundred times? A thousand times? A million times?
Hold on a sec: how many quesadillas have you cooked in your life?

Vietnamese Pan-Grilled Sesame Beef

A couple of weeks ago, when the polar vortex — something that ought to be the name of a new breath mint, but is unfortunately anything but — descended upon us with its mighty fury, I made a Vietnamese dish for the first time in my life.
I know that the two events are totally unrelated and that anyone smarter than myself would bake something bubbly when the cold temperatures hit.
But that’s just not the way my brain works.
My thought process is so erratic and fragmented when it comes to cooking. It's a miracle that I can run an (almost successful) food blog.

Easy Baked Honey-Teriyaki Chicken

My love for teriyaki is real, runs deep, and it will never die.
Chances are you probably love it as much as I do.
If this is the case then I’m here to tell you that I’m willing to bet that you have right now in your pantry the ingredients to make this Easy Baked Honey-Teriyaki Chicken.
Bet accepted?

Pineapple Coconut Smoothie

It’s been a long while since I have posted a smoothie recipe here.
Too long, five months to be precise.

And I don’t want you to get the impression that I don’t care for smoothies anymore.
I still love smoothies and I make one nearly every day, even in this freezing cold February.
February, a month that I find rather difficult to fully embrace.
I don’t know if it’s because it has an inconsistent number of days. Normally, there are 28 days (already annoying), but then there's the leap year rule where an extra day is added every four years, so 29. Confusing.
February is also the last full month of winter, but it can be just as cold as January. Maybe even more so.
It teases us with warm days here and there and a little hope enters our hearts, but cold spells are still in the forecast. And when it does, it stings a little harder.

My Fave Breakfast Recipes

You probably already know that I’m not a morning person.
Never been. Never will.
I know that the way you start your morning off sets the tone for the entire day, but I’m not one of those persons who wakes up energized, refreshed, charged up, and ready to take on the world.
I, instead, wake up feeling grumpy and grouchy. I push the snooze button at least a hundred times. Seriously.

The only thing I love about mornings is breakfast.
Breakfast may be my favorite meal to cook because there’s nothing fussy about it.
Most of the time, I start my day with a fantastic smoothie (such as my awesome Immune-Boosting Blueberry Smoothie); sometimes I just want some solid food (apple + almond butter).
But then there those time when I want breakfast to be — you know — awesome, when that happens I turn to one of these ten recipes and start my day in the most legit way possible!

Seared Turmeric Chicken Lunch Bowls

Lunch is the one meal a day most people tend to eat away from home.
Some of us work through lunch, others socialize with coworkers, while for others it represents an opportunity to break a sweat during what may be the only time to workout [Me!]
Lunch is also a crucial meal since the wrong nutritional balance mid-day can lead to lack of energy later.
While the easiest approach for adults and children is probably to buy something, this may not be the healthiest or most cost-effective way to plan lunches.
In fact, it is well-known that packing lunch is good for your body and your wallet.

Mushroom Bourguignon

For a long time in my life I thought that a healthy vegetarian dish could be delicious but it will never really be as awesome as a juicy burger, melt in your mouth BBQ ribs or say crispy bacon.
This recipe changed my mind once and for all.
Since the first time I cooked this Mushroom Bourguignon something like 5 years ago (has it been that long already? Ugh!) I came to the realization that a solid vegetarian dish can be just as filling and satisfying as a meat dish.

Baked Sticky Sriracha-Honey Chicken Wings

In order to properly celebrate the biggest sports event ever known to mankind (Super Bowl 50, obvs) a heaping platter of wings is not only necessary, but essential.
They’ve got to be sticky. They’ve got to be greasy. They’ve got to be spicy. They’ve got to be delish.
Personally I love wings. Those small little morsels of chicken meat soaked in sauce and dipped in bleu cheese dressing is one of the best things to eat when watching football.
And there’s this magical thing about wings: you can order as much as you want and there won’t be leftovers. They are going to get eaten. There won’t be leftovers.
The problem with loving wings is that they are downright bad for you. Most of the time they are breaded and deep fried — oily and greasy as the day is long.

Grilled Chicken Arugula and Pear Salad with Toasted Walnuts

Though I like to consider myself a somewhat navigated blogger, many things I do on this blog point in the opposite direction.
Such as struggling to reply in a timely manner to your comments and emails or like I’m still having some serious problems with social media: such as forgetting to post new pictures on IG (ouch!), not engaging enough with the readers, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera…
But what really I’m bad at, is planning ahead.
I know for a fact that almost all of my fellow food bloggers have scheduled posts for the next weeks, months, years to come.
And I’m also fairly certain that they have already planned next week’s social media updates. You don’t believe me? Ask ‘em!

(Paleo) Chocolate Mug Cake

I won’t deny it, I love me a snowstorm.
I love waking up on a cold snowy morning, watching the snow fall and accumulate. When all the surroundings are beautifully quiet — not only does everything look as if it is covered with a big white blanket, it also sounds as such.
A snow day means I can stay in my pajamas, drink hot tea and being lazy on the couch all day.
No running, no biking, no swimming, not even yoga — though I could take a yoga online class or do my own thing I just don’t feel like it.

Baked Tortilla Espanola

Tapas are Spain's gift to the world of great cooking: a fun way to eat with friends and family.
Everyone can share tasty food, try different things, and fight over the last morsel of that delicious croquette (it’s MINE btw!)
If you’re not familiar with tapas, they’re small dishes or plates which are traditionally given in bars in Spain when ordering a drink.
Originally tapas were slices of bread placed on top of the glass in order to protect the drink from flies or dust (the word lid is 'tapa' in Spanish). Eventually the slices of bread were then topped with some cheese or vegetables to make a tasty snack.
Tapas have evolved and gained popularity, nowadays they’re more than just a snack.
If you’ve been to Spain, you’ve probably experienced the tapa-hopping thing.
Going around town with friends and stopping in at several bars to have a glass of wine and sample the tapa specialities. Slowly and steadily.
One of the best experiences ever.

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Casserole

Are you guys as pumped as I am for the NFC and AFC championships this weekend?
Probably not.
Maybe you live outside the US and you don’t know the first thing about American football.
Or maybe you do know about American football but couldn’t care less.
Or maybe — just like my friend David — you care only about College football and don’t give a damn about the NFL.
Whatever that may be, this weekend it’s time for the Conference finals and I DO CARE and I feel the need to talk about it. Alrite?
Since the Giants didn’t make it to the playoffs this year (I mean, what’s new…) I’m rooting for the Broncos — if for no other reason that I adore Peyton Manning, so GO BRONCOS!
The chances that Denver will make it to the Super Bowl are slim, but the game of football is unpredictable.

Chicken Souvlaki Grilled Veggie and Quinoa Bowls with Tzatziki-Feta Sauce

Though I’m reasonably certain that the internet doesn’t need another recipe for chicken souvlaki — I did my fair share of research and there are thousands and thousands of different recipes for the seasoned Greek kebabs, including mine.
I still feel that the interwebs (as mom calls it) might benefit from just one more souvlaki recipe that includes chicken (obvs) but also grilled veggies, quinoa, and a delicious tzatziki sauce made with feta; everything served in a bowl.
I know you’re drooling, so am I — and I just had it for lunch.
That’s the only acceptable reaction one can have at the sight of so much awesomeness.

Easy Salted Mayan Chocolate Pots de Crème

Look, I know all too well that January is the time for resolutions.
I get it, I totally do.
You just signed up for a gym membership?
Good for you.
You swore off carbs, sugar, and all edible food like substances (aka junk food)?
Even better.
I’m all for new year resolutions and I love the notion of a fresh start.

Apple Cider Glazed Pork Chops

I don’t know what has happened to me, but since the beginning of the new year but I’ve been craving red meat like crazy. Chicken and turkey don't satisfy. I want steaks, lamb chops, beef sashimi, sausages, jerky, pork chops.
I have to admit that it’s sort of awkward, because I’ve never considered myself as a “red meat kind of a guy”. To the contrary, I’ve always been proud of my self-proclaimed status of “lean meat kind of guy”.
These days however, it’s all about red meat.
Yeah, I hardly know me either.
How could this have happened? The person who considered chicken and turkey the only viable meat protein source? He who said that beef and pork are okay to eat only in moderation?
This road I’m walking down scares me.
How long will it take before you spot me scarfing down a couple of burgers at Shake Shack every day for lunch? Gnawing ribs or sucking marrowbones?
I dunno, I dunno...

Broccoli and Cheese Mashed Potatoes

And it’s a new year.
I hope you guys had a great start to the fresh and brand new year so far.
I like New Year for one specific reason: It’s a holiday that doesn’t have any religious overtone whatsoever. Therefore it’s something we can all celebrate without needing any beliefs in anything.
Whether or not you take New Year seriously — I don’t take it particularly seriously — it’s a nice marker to have. I like the feeling of wiping the slate clean and starting a fresh, new beginning. Though in a sense we mustn’t forget that we’re always starting over, we’re always changing, not only on January 1st.

Top 10 Recipes of 2015

It’s the end of 2015 and well, WHOA!
Are you guys ready?
I am definitely not.
I keep hearing my friends saying things like “Next year I want to skydive in the jungle” or “I want to wrestle a lion” or “ I want to write a novel” - and I’m more like “What’s for dinner tonight?” or “Running or yoga tomorrow?”
Apparently, I’m not ready for 2016.
The only thing I know is that the new year will be filled with delicious food. Just like 2015, maybe even better...if that’s even possible.

Anyways, with the year coming to a close, I thought I’d put together a collection of the 10 most popular recipes on the blog during 2015 (in terms of pageviews).
Now mind you, these recipes are ones posted from January through December 2015 — basically this an annual roundup.
It’s quite an awesome bunch and you won’t be surprised that all of the most popular recipes are savory ones.

Quinoa Avocado and Apple Detox Salad

I’ll admit it, I tried to be virtuous but I totally went overboard with eating last weekend. Faced with homemade Christmas treats, it was hard to say no.
Yesterday morning I woke up feeling absolutely terrible. I actually felt like a Thanksgiving turkey: overstuffed, bloated, and even nauseated.
I was SO ready for a major detox.

Wishing You All A Very Merry Christmas

I can’t quite believe it’s Christmas Eve and I’m here writing my Christmas blog post.
Roaring fires, good food, and the air filled with warmth.
Oh man, I love Christmas.

I love it even if every year at Christmas I'm reminded how bad I am at wrapping gifts.
The presents are usually “wrapped” in some sort of way and then I pile on the tape.
Tape is amazing.
Another option is the Tootsie Roll Twist — doesn’t matter the size or shape of the present.
If all else fails: Gift bag. Gift bags are magic.

Anyways, I’m also busy whipping up a feast for my family.
This year the menu includes a beef roulade stuffed with all sorts of delicious things (I know, awesome), Garlic Thyme Potatoes Anna, Baked Spinach, Maple-Glazed Butternut Squash, Chocolate Avocado Chia Pudding, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
I come from a large family where everyone loves to eat well (and drink good wine).
So yeah, a lot of pressure on Mike...

As I look back at the year gone by, there is one thing that stands out the most: YOU GUYS!
I am so very grateful that you guys read this blog, enjoy it, share it, and engage with me on here, Twitter, Facebook,Instagram, and Pinterest.
I really hope that in some way it enriches your life as much as it enriches mine to write it.
Thank you.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Butternut Squash Fritters (Low Carb & Gluten-Free)

Since we’re all super busy these days, I’m going to keep things simple and give you a quick and easy recipe.
Because if there’s one thing I know is that during holiday season the most valuable thing is our time. And clearing your schedule for an evening (with no work, no cooking, no phone calls) is the best gift you could ever give yourself. Imma right?

3-Ingredient Chocolate Fudge with Sea Salt

Now that we are 6 days away from Christmas, I finally got into the holiday spirit. About time right?
Decorating the apt, shopping for friends and family, and changing the playlist to some Christmas music.
I have to be completely honest here, nothing puts me in the holiday spirit quite like the seasonal sounds of festive holiday music.
So I thought it would be cool to share my top five Christmas songs [drumroll please]:

Chocolate Dipped Almond Shortbread Cookies with Sea Salt

I firmly believe that shortbread is one of the simplest and most satisfying cookies there is.
And yet, there is a notable, sad absence for a shortbread recipe on this site and it’s like totally my fault.
But you see, authentic Scottish shortbread is made of just 3 ingredients: butter, sugar, and flour. And sugar and flour (2 out of 3) are not paleo-friendly.
Which means that shortbread is almost like paleo-poison: all one you need is one bite to be doomed for all eternity Mwahahaha Hahahaaha...

The Best Baked Kale

Let’s face it. Things just aren’t the way they used to be.
Life before Instagram seems like 100 years ago.
More even. Life before smartphones: was there even life before smartphones?
The first iPhone was released in 2007 — a time when dinosaurs still prowled the Earth.
Smartphones have changed the way we live, they have collapsed so many things we use every day into a little block made of plastic, metal, and glass.
They have changed the very notion of what a phone is. It's no longer a device to make phone calls: A smartphone is an all-purpose pocket-size computer we can use to direct (and control) our lives.

Light Italian Minestrone Soup

Let’s be real for a sec: soups are not exactly “dude food”.
Picture this: Guys get together for Football Night, Poker Night, Dude Night, whatever testosterone-filled event; maybe they went hiking/fishing/hunting and are coming back home sweaty, tired, and starving. Maybe they went to the homecoming game and are ravenous.
Whatever it was, imagine one of the dudes saying “All right boys, who wants a bowl of Light Italian Minestrone Soup?”
It doesn't sound right...
By doing so, he would set himself for ridicule, disrespect, and contempt (and I’m being gentle here!)
Dude food is fall-off-the-bones tender pork ribs slathered in a barbecue sauce, meatballs, chili cheese fries, and cans of beer we can readily shotgun, then smash on our foreheads.
Soup? Doesn’t quite fit right?

Spicy Maple-Glazed Butternut Squash

I love fall. I mean, I know how unoriginal that is to say, but I can’t help it.
I just love it: leaves, hot booze, sweaters, and snuggling. Fall is definitely the Goldilocks of seasons.
The only problem is figuring out how to make fall longer than it is.
Meteorologically winter includes the months of December, January, and February so I’m not fooling myself, I’m aware that we are already in winter.
But can we pretend it’s still fall? Just for a sec...please...
And what better way to do it than roasting butternut squash - one of my favorite fall treats.

Chewy Gingerbread Cookies (Paleo and Vegan)

For many in America Christmas season begins as soon as the turkey, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie have digested.
Often, the very moment our self-induced food comas begin to subside, we grab our coats to make our way to a few big box stores or to haul the big boxes of Christmas decorations in from the garage.

Creamy Broccoli and Mushroom Casserole

So I’ve been recently asked by a reader the following question “Could you describe how a casserole would taste like to someone who has never lived in America? I would certainly love to know how it actually tastes like.”
According to the Larousse Gastronomique "a casserole is a dish with two or more elements, the basis of which can be rice in combination with meat or fish, plus a sauce or gravy, and often a variety of vegetables. This one-dish-meal can be prepared in advance and cooked in a decorative casserole. (Here comes my favorite part) - Such a dish is very popular in homes where there are no servants to help prepare or serve meals."
Which explains why I make so many casseroles it’s not even funny, I have no servants.
Ha!

Greek-Style Turkey Burgers with Yogurt Sauce

Society these days puts so much emphasis on “doing” that when I’m asked what I do with my free time, I feel pressured to say something socially acceptable like saving mankind, a new job, climb Mt. Everest, charity, school, etc — when I really want to say “Dude, I like to chill and do absolutely nothing!”
But I never do.

15 Recipes To Detox Your Body

Because I know I can’t compete with your grandma’s green bean casserole, Aunt Mary’s velvety mashed potatoes, or cousin Jean’s super-rich stuffing.
And because I’m savvy enough to realize that you don’t need me to tell you how to choose, cook or cut a turkey — for that and a for any other Thanksgiving situation Martha is there for you.
This year I decided to skip Thanksgiving altogether and move directly to Black Friday.
You know, the busiest shopping day of the year — where we trample people for things we don’t actually need, the day after being thankful for what we have.
Also known as the day you wake up feeling like a bloated, elastic-waistband-wearing version of yourself.

But instead of throwing yourself a pity party with leftover stuffing before you hit the stores: why not start fresh with something healthy?
I went in and selected 15 recipes from The Iron You that will help you detox after turkey-day. Most are smoothies/juices, some are salads/soups but there’s also a dessert that I snuck in too, if you want something sweet.

In the meantime I wish you guys a happy Thanksgiving. And remember, Thanksgiving is not a day to diet — for once, you get to gather ’round the table with family and friends, and eat delicious holiday dishes to your heart’s content.
Because no one wants green juice at their Thanksgiving table. No one.

Easy Sweet and Sour Pork Chops

This recipe is the shining example of what a few well-placed ingredients and good cooking technique can do to a plain piece of meat.
Thick and succulent pork chops are seared, baked, then slathered with sweet glaze, and roasted until perfectly caramelized.

Cauliflower Tortillas

Let’s get this out of the way up front: This recipe is for me. Not for you, for me.
The reason I’m sharing it with you today on my blog is that every time I need to make cauliflower tortillas I have to find this enchilada recipe, scroll all the way down past all the nonsense and pictures my posts are filled with, and finally find cauliflower tortillas.
And that’s just not, you know, very handy.
That’s why I wanted to post just the recipe for cauliflower tortillas.
And I did, right here. All right?

Sun-Dried Tomato and Roasted Almond Pesto

Just like any other 30-something I love going out on Friday nights.
I love being with my friends and have dinner together. Eat delicious food, chat, and laugh.
I love going out for drinks, meet new and interesting people from all walks of life.
I love going to gigs, meet other folks with a similar interest in music as me, listen to good music, dance, and have just a blast.
For me, and for many others, that’s what Friday nights are for.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna with Cauliflower Noodles

Let me give you the short story of this recipe.
Butternut squash, spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella. Noodles, more mozzarella, Parmesan!
Now the long story.
Gluten-free+grain-free cauliflower noodles layered with a creamy butternut squash-ricotta filling and an extra-rich spinach-mozzarella filling, topped with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, sprinkled with a bit of Italian seasoning, baked until piping hot and just starting to brown.

Easy Baked Parmesan Mushrooms

As with anything else in life, running has its good days and bad days. 

One day I practically fly through an easy 10 miles, and the next day I can barely push my sorry legs past the 5-mile mark.
During those time running becomes more a mental thing than a physical one.
And over years I’ve learned that the best thing I can do is to distract myself — instead of focusing on why I can’t run.

Lemon Garlic Chicken Zoodles

Even if you don’t believe in climate change or global warming, you can’t deny that we had, so far, a particularly mild fall — especially in my neck of the woods.
It hardly ever went below 60, most people are still in flip flops and sandals, I haven’t worn my winter running gear just yet, and man, this morning I stepped outside in my tee and denims.
Is it fall yet? It still does feel like summer to be honest.

Easy Korean Sticky Chicken

For someone who talks about food like 12/7 (the remaining 12/7 are dedicated to triathlon and yoga, obviously), I have some bad habits when it comes to eating.
Such as wolfing down my food.
Seriously, I sit down at the table and stuff my mouth with food in a very ungentlemanlike manner; as if someone was pointing a gun at my head screaming “I'm going to blow your brains out if you don't eat fast!”

Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa and Spinach Salad

I’ve confessed again and again that I’m just the kind of person that way too often hits on something that can't stop eating. For days, weeks, months.
It happened with coconut curry chicken, garlic mushrooms, creamy mashed cauliflower, and now this salad.
I’m telling you, if I had a butternut squash right now at home, instead of writing this post, I’d be peeling, chopping, and roasting it.
No kidding.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Soup

I’m totally hoarding pumpkins at the moment — I buy a butternut every time I go to the shops.
Yet not a single one of them will become a Jack-o’-Lantern (I’m so bad at carving pumpkin — no matter how hard I try they always come out lousy) nor they will be used for making pumpkin pie (I know that’s almost blasphemous to say but I’m not a big fan of pumpkin pie — the texture is just way too gloppy for me.)

Italian Seasoning

A quick post today on something I recently just made out of necessity: Italian seasoning.
I know all too well that Italian seasoning is the kind of thing that chefs and sophisticated cooks “never” use.
But as far as I’m concerned, I use it all the time — and I’m not afraid to say it.
Whenever I need to season a chicken breast for dinner, Italian seasoning is there to make it more savory.
I’m whipping up some cauliflower crust cheese pizza? Italian seasoning.
Need to add some extra flavor to my soup? Italian seasoning.

20-Minute Creamy Vegan Carrot Soup

Because I am, in all likelihood, about 10 years old on the inside but old enough on the outside to know that it’s better not to fool yourself or others, I’m going to admit from the start that carrot soup may not be one of the most fashionable soup there is.
Take a New England clam chowder or a French onion soup for instance: They’re classy, sophisticated, and elegant. The kind of soups that would own the runway.
But carrot soup? Carrot soup is synonym for mundane, ordinary, maybe even banal. There’s nothing fashionable about it.
Yet, in all its mundanity this particular 20-Minute Creamy Vegan Carrot Soup is hearty, satisfying, heartwarming, and incredibly delicious.

Wolfpack-Style Meatballs

I’d be lying if I were to say that I’m familiar with baby showers.
I mean, I know what a baby shower is: A party usually thrown by a friend or family member for the first child so that the mom-to-be can feel supported by her friends and family and obtain a few of the essentials.
There’s food, there’s tittle-tattle, there’s a lot of “Oh my God this is the cutest thing ever!”, there are usually party games organized by the host, and so on.
But traditionally baby showers are just women (though more and more are starting to have a mix of men and women) and I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve never been invited to one.

Spicy Vegan Chinese Eggplant

I feel you guys should know that I sometimes endure physical pain in order create the recipes for this blog.
For instance, the other day I was chopping serrano peppers and accidentally wiped my eyes.
You.Have.No.Idea.
It started burning like hell, so I jumped in the shower and hosed my eyeball off for 10 minutes straight.
Those of you who have tried to soothe a salsa-scorched mouth with water know that this does not work at all. It helps for a second, and then the burn returns with a vengeance.
In fact I'm pretty sure I made it worse because when I got out of the shower my eye was still burning, and was now bright red and swollen.
The heat and pain from spicy foods is caused by capsaicin, which isn't soluble in water — so it just washes over it and spreads it around without removing it.

20-Minute Skillet Chicken Fajitas

Fortunately, for like healthy eating, nutritional balance, and all that boring stuff I do, I did not entirely subsist on this amazing chocolate chip banana bread for the past few weeks. 

I’ve also been making a lot of these Skillet Chicken Fajitas. 

(Paleo) Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

As Gary Jules sang, it’s a mad, mad world.
Everyone seems to be on the move. They are either coming or going. It’s easy to get caught up in the rush and it’s tempting to pile more on your plate than you can handle.
It’s become the norm to juggle an extra volunteering gig or job when you don’t even have the time to catch your breath.
I personally pride myself in being able to be occupied on a regular basis: work, blog, training, social life, helping sis with the kids, etc.