Salsas and Sauces
Vegan Lentil Bolognese
Vegan lentil bolognese sauce with mushrooms – perfect over pasta or polenta for a hearty, healthy vegan main dish.
Read MoreBlack Plum Vinaigrette
I had a whole collection of little black plums, neglected and going soft in my fruit bowl until … I turned them into salad dressing. Clearly, plums are not my favorite stone fruit, but in this plum vinaigrette they shine. The flavor reminds me of a raspberry vinaigrette, but less acidic and more fruity. And…
Read MoreChipotle Hummus
Like everyone else who came up in the 90s, I have a soft spot in my heart for hummus. Vivid memories of party snack tables spotlighting pita chips and hummus — so exotic! — and beach days with Triscuits dipped in hummus and then blown with sand so that with every bite you could feel…
Read MoreHabanero Pesto Shrimp
When we first moved to LA from Austin (almost three years ago, holy cow!) we came with but one Mexican restaurant recommendation in our pockets. Kay N’ Dave’s in Culver City. Habanero pesto shrimp was a thing on the menu and for a while it was Chris’s favorite thing on the menu until they re-did…
Read MoreBroccoli with Mint Pesto
There’s a restaurant we go to often: it’s four blocks away, has a good menu and great bartenders. I get a lot of inspiration from their specials menu, actually. (These portobello mushroom tacos, for example.) And a few weeks ago tried something described as “broccoli with mint pesto and pine nut gremolata” which sounds pretty…
Read MoreTofu Mole Tacos
My husband Chris has never enjoyed any mole sauces he’s tried; they are all sweeter than he likes. He’s also not enamored with glazed meat, sweet barbecue sauces or even ketchup, really. So my self-imposed mission was to use inspiration from this recipe and this recipe to come up with a not-too-sweet Puebla-style red mole…
Read MorePickled Red Onions
These quick pickled red onions — cebollas curtidos — are a simple little Mexican condiment often seen on picadillo or other meaty tacos (chunky beef tacos anyone?). They’re also very complimentary to fried foods like fish and chips or as an accent on a cheese plate. Hell, even stick some in a microwaveable burrito. Really…
Read MoreRoasted Cherry Tomato Sauce
Summer is my favorite. Not just because of the long days and blue skies, but also for the tomatoes. Our closest farmers’ market has been having barrels and barrels of cherry tomatoes in all colors and I have been scooping them up by the shovelful and eating them all kinds of ways. This roasted cherry…
Read MoreHomemade Jalapeño Ranch Dressing
Homemade jalapeño Ranch dressing for salads, taco salads, or tacos! The secret to a Ranch-style dressing is a buttload of dillweed (What’d you call me?!) AKA dill. And if you want a recipe for regular Ranch style dressing, then just omit the jalapeño from this recipe. Easy! Now, you know that normally I like it…
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