recipe

Vegan Spinach Dip

Josie Girl 4 Comments

This past weekend, we had our dear friend Katie Kaiser from Stanford visit.  In addition to being a great friend, she is one of the most phenomenal cooks I have ever encountered — as I still remember all her dinner parties during Business School and the meals she put together. So I asked her if we could cook together so I could learn some of her tips, skills, and recipes. POT OF GOLD! We cooked up a storm and she taught me so much — stay tuned for her various recipes that will be featured on the blog, Thank you, Kaiser! We love you! And so here is one of her recipes, delicious Vegan Spinach Dip!

 

Ingredients:

 

Ingredients

Ingredients

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Homemade Granola Bars

Josie Girl 5 Comments

As the self proclaimed Granola Queen (both in terms of the noun “granola” and the verb “granola”), I have played around with making granola bars. This granola bar is a winner. It takes under 30 minutes, requires no baking, has no sugar (unless you count honey and/or dates as sugar), and is delicious (obviously). MAKE ‘EM!

 

Ingredients:

 

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Ken’s Homemade Mac and Cheese

Josie Girl 8 Comments

Guest blogger alert!  Here’s Ken… When he starts watching too much football on Sundays, I can usually guilt him into cooking/doing a guest blog post during commercials.  And his Jets are terrible so it’s not like he’s missing much.  Enjoy:

 

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If there’s anything in the vicinity of unhealthy on this blog, it’s a safe bet that it’s coming from me.  While I try to make an effort to combine healthy and, um, not-totally-girly, (see: Grilled Artichokes, Grilled Fruit, Grilled Romaine Salad, Lemon-Mint Pasta with Bacon, and a Guy’s Guide to Pregnancy), things like Beer Can Chicken are more up my alley.  Without further ado…. heart stopping mac and cheese.

 

ingredients

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Karlie’s Kookies

Josie Girl 9 Comments

So, apparently when you follow supermodels on instagram, you start to think that you yourself are IN FACT a supermodel. Yep, that is right. I strut like one, dress similarly, resemble one, and I am a model now. OK.  Not really, but I *do* eat Karlie’s Kookies which most supermodels boast about chomping down on instagram.  So that makes us similar, right? What is a Karlie’s Kookie? Well, all the celebrities and fashionistas eat them (and post them on instagram), so they must be healthy AND delicious at the same time. And what do you know? They really are. Cross my heart, swear to god, these little cookies are made out of healthy ingredients and are so tasty good, too.

 

My goodie bag.

My goodie bag.

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Crane Crest Real French Dressing

Josie Girl 12 Comments

I have a close friend who is hands down the best cook in the world (actually, tied with my mother). Everything she makes in the kitchen is scrumptious, delicious, and out of this world good (she is also beautiful, loving, caring, stylish — damn I have AMAZING FRIENDS!!!!!). So when I was at her house last week and devoured a whole gallon of salad, I had to know HOW DO I MAKE THAT DRESSING? The salad was simple — cabbage and tomatoes — but I couldn’t stop eating it. It was the most delicious two ingredient salad I had ever tasted — all because of the dressing. My friend, embarrassed, said that the dressing was store bought (not her typical style) and said it cost her $17 for the bottle (NYC — your prices are totally bonkers a$$ crazy!).

Salad! But what makes the salad is the dressing....

Salad! But what makes the salad is the dressing….

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Mushroom Torte

Josie Girl 7 Comments
perfection

 

Torte / Quiche / Pie = All the same deliciousness. Especially when made by my Mama. Yep, the best cook in the world gave me a lesson on how to make tortes. Unbelievably tasty, and a home-run for any dinner / lunch / brunch dinner party. (My mom is such a pro in the kitchen that she made 8 of these tortes — all different fillings — in ONE afternoon. IF ONLY I had the charisma, talent, and energy that she has!) This torte was one of my favorites: mushroom. It is not simple, not vegan, gluten-free, or light — but it is full of flavor and a perfect addition to your plate. Center stage. This recipe was found from the Nordic Bakery Cookbook, which is amazing.

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Raw Chocolate Coconut Bites

Josie Girl 5 Comments

I know I have a lot of haters of my healthy desserts (mainly, my husband, father, and brother…see the pattern), but THIS HEALTHY DESSERT is a must-make and must-eat. And not to be hated on. Even my father ate it and asked for more (true story). So, do me a favor and make it. I found the recipe off of my new-to-me-favorite-healthy-food-blog, Deliciously Ella. With a little bit of creative editing, here is the recipe for Raw Chocolate Coconut Bites. Yes, they are vegan. No, they are not nut-free. Yes, they are delicious. Yes, I promise.

 

Ingredients:

 

Ingredients

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Chard Apple Salad

Josie Girl 6 Comments

Made it to Oregon after an oops-where-is-the-airport-bathroom-uh-oh-kid-had-an-accident type of situation. That = unfun. Oregon = Green, calm, rainy forest (Oregon, didn’t you get the memo? I came out for SUMMER not Spring-Fall-Winter rain!). My mother is a cooking machine and since we are so many at the house, she is now a member of not one, but TWO CSA boxes. Yep, ladies and gentlemen, more greens and kale and chard and spinach than you can ever imagine. Wednesdays *and* Fridays! Not that I am complaining because there is nothing better than fresh farm vegetables, but my mother has to get creative with all the greens in the house. And this recipe (random concoction created by Nana Proskurowski) was unbelievable. So good that I had to recreate it the next day!

 

Ingredients:

 

Ingredients

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Green Bean Salad

Josie Girl 1 Comment
Devour! You can obviously make this without bacon, if you so desire.

All of my favorite recipes are originally made by my favorite chef, my mama. My mother is hands down the most inventive, creative, and talented chef in the kitchen (among many other traits and accomplishments). And this green bean salad has been in her repertoire for years, and as a result has become one of my go-to-salads. It is fresh, easy, healthy, and good in any season. Enjoy!

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GP’s Lalo Cookies

Josie Girl 6 Comments
Thumbprint cookies (I used blueberry jam and lingonberry jam).

Yep, another Gwyneth Paltrow recipe. I can’t help myself!!!! I love her recipes and ingredients so much!!! Plus if I eat like her, I will look like her, right? These cookies are the bomb (yep, used that word, say what 2003). They are dense, sweet, healthy, and hit-the-spot. They are more like a granola bar than a cookie. But healthy snack trumps oreos anyday.

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Carrot Ginger Dressing

Josie Girl 4 Comments
Smother it on the salad. It is that good!

New York finally got a whiff of Spring yesterday! The birds sang, the sun glistened, it reached a whopping 43 degrees, and daffodils emerged (in bodegas, but still…..) Spring, colors, chirps, here we come! Goes hand in hand with a dollop of bright orange goodness to kick start your salad! Here is a recipe for the perfect Japanese carrot ginger dressing. Who knew a dressing could taste so delicious? Must try! (but be careful, it kinda looks like soup. It is not soup).

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Lentil Swiss Chard Soup

Josie Girl 6 Comments
Lentil soup!

Lentil soup!

Ever since the holidays, I have found myself flipping through the Plenty and Jerusalem cookbooks and ooohhing and aaaahhhing over the beautiful, healthy recipes. Randomly, over the weekend, a friend made the most hearty, comforting, delicious soup from the same (brilliant) chef, Yotam Ottolenghi. I had to make a batch for myself. The soup is vegan, wholesome, rich, savory, and very Moroccan-esque. Definitely worth the effort in the kitchen.

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Ayurvedic Apropos Pumpkin Cookies

Josie Girl 4 Comments

mound

The New Year is an opportunity to listen to your body and eat according to your dosha, your imbalances, the season, and the Ayurvedic composition. Currently in Vata season (and being a true Vata person), warm, homey, sturdy foods such as pumpkin and sweet potato provide balance and nourishment. So when I came across these pumpkin vegan cookies, I couldn’t wait to give them a shot.

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Homemade Masala

Josie Girl 4 Comments

One of the highlights of my Ayurveda Training was learning how to make different masalas. Masala is simply a spice mixture, and depending on the season and your dosha, certain masalas can help you become more balanced. Not only are the masalas delicious, but the act of creating, roasting, toasting, pounding, grinding, blending the spices is theraputic and rewarding. People over 5,000 years have been creating these simple blends in the same method — heating spices over hot fire, and pounding with a mortar and pestle. The aroma, the family bonding, the creation; it is all so great. Making masala is a metaphor for harvesting the spirit of ahimsa and maturing intelligence.

Mortar and pestle.

Mortar and pestle.

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