I always get questions about people asking me how I find the time to cook but I honestly love it. I always have. Cooking for me is a major outlet and it’s something I really look forward to doing. Nowadays I do try to find easier recipes because it can be challenging in the evenings with Augustine and Corinna. Some times I’m prepping veggies during naptime, or even the night before, but ideally I’d have an hour each night where I could just cook, drink a glass of wine, and listen to some Italian Cooking music. Yep, that might be one of my happy places! A benefit of loving to cook is that I have a family that loves to eat. Augustine eats whatever we eat {he’s the least picky eater ever!}, so we really can get creative with our meals. I tried out a lot of new recipes this year and most were pretty darn good. I thought I would narrow down a list of my favorite recipes from last year to share with you in case you’re searching for some dinner inspiration! Would love to know if you’ve made any favorites recently too!
My Favorite Recipes From Last Year
I’ve included a few recipes I’ve shared on the blog before in the past, as well as some of my others available online. Unfortunately, two of my favorite recipes from last year were only available from the Oh She Glows Everyday cookbook. So I wrote them out and put them below. That way you can print this page and cut out the recipe if you don’t have the book! Although I suggest you run and get it a.s.a.p.!
Crowd-Pleasing Vegan Caesar Salad
Instant Pot Cauliflower and Butternut Thai Curry
Strawberry Coconut Carrot Cake with Mascarpone Buttercream {made this cake for Augustine’s 3rd birthday}
Levain Chocolate Chip Cookie Copycat Recipe {our new favorite recipe! Previous favorite was this one}
Roasted Eggplant Parmesan {use way less salt though!}
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce chopped
- 3 medium carrots julienned and chopped into bite-sized pieces (1½ cups/375 mL)
- 1 medium red bell peppers seeded and diced, or 1¼ cups (300 mL) diced cucumber
- 4 green onions thinly sliced (⅔ cup/150 mL)
- ⅓ cup 75 mL chopped fresh cilantro or basil leaves
- Cast-Iron Tofu recipe below
- Roasted Tamari Almonds recipe below
- Thai Almond Butter Sauce recipe below
- 1 12- to 16-ounce/340 to 450 g block firm or extra-firm tofu
- 3 teaspoons 15 mL avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon 5 mL garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon 1 mL fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon 1 mL onion powder (optional)
- ½ cup 125 mL raw almonds, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon 20 mL low-sodium tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 large or 2 small clove s garlic
- 2 to 3 teaspoons 10 to 15 mL grated fresh ginger, to taste
- ¾ cup 175 mL smooth homemade almond butter or store-bought
- 3 to 4 tablespoons 45 to 60 mL fresh lime juice, to taste
- 2 tablespoons 30 mL low-sodium tamari or coconut aminos, or more to taste
- 3 to 4 ½ teaspoons 15 to 22 mL pure maple syrup, to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon 0.5 mL cayenne pepper, or to taste (optional)
- 2 to 6 tablespoons 30 to 90 mL water, as needed to thin
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Place the romaine in a large salad bowl, or divide it among four individual bowls.
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Add the carrot, bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, tofu, and almonds.
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Serve the Thai Almond Butter Sauce on the side and drizzle it over the salads just before serving.
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Press the tofu overnight, or for at least 30 minutes.
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Slice the pressed tofu into 9 or 10 rectangles ½ inch (1 cm) thick and then slice each rectangle into 6 squares, to make a total of 54 to 60 tofu pieces.
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Heat a large cast-iron (for nonstick) skillet over medium-high heat for several minutes.
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In a large bowl, combine the tofu with 1½ teaspoons (7 mL) of the oil. Gently stir until all the tofu is coated. Stir in the garlic powder, salt, and onion powder (if using).
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When a drop of water gently sizzles on the skillet, the skillet is hot enough. Carefully add the remaining 1 ½ teaspoons (7 mL) oil and tilt the skillet to coat it evenly with the oil. Add the tofu to the pan in a single layer (be careful, as the oil might splatter-- use a splatter guard, if desired), making sure all the pieces lay flat against the skillet. If your skillet is too small to cook all the tofu at once, work in batches.
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Cook the tofu on one side for 4 to 7 minutes, until you have a golden crust with some speckled brown spots (the crust should be about 1/16 inch/ 1.5 mm in thickness). With a fork, flip each piece and cook for 4 to 5 minutes more, until golden. Serve immediately; the tofu crust will soften as it cools.
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Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a medium bowl, toss the almonds with the tamari until the almond pieces are fully coated. Spread the almonds over the prepared baking sheet in an even layer.
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Roast the almonds for 9 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden. The tamari will have dried up.
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Let cool completely on the pan. The almonds will harden up as they cool. Using a spoon, scrape the almonds off the parchment paper and enjoy! Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of weeks
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In a food processor, process the garlic until they are finely chopped.
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Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth. Add the water to thin the sauce to your desired consistency-- start with 2 tablespoons (30 mL) and work from there. The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.
This is a helpful note by Angela Liddon, author of Oh She Glows Every Day: “The dressing can easily double as a dip for summer rolls, baked tofu, or crudités, too. If you’d like to turn this salad into a heartier entrée, try swapping the romaine lettuce for cooked soba noodles for even more staying power”. “If you don’t have a julienne peeler, you can use a regular peeler to create thing carrot “ribbons,” or you can grate the carrot on a grater box. If you use a grater box, I would probably reduce the carrots to 1 cup (250 mL) so they don’t overwhelm the salad”.
- 3 tablespoons 45 mL virgin coconut oil, softened
- ½ cup 125 mL lightly packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup 75 mL unsweetened pumpkin purée
- ½ teaspoon 2 mL pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons 10 mL ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons 10 mL ground flax
- ¾ teaspoon 4 mL ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon 2 mL baking soda
- ½ teaspoon 2 mL freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon 0.5 mL ground cloves
- Dash of ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon 1 mL fine sea salt
- 1 cup 250 mL whole-grain or white/ light spelt flour
- 1 14-ounce/400 mL can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 to 2 tablespoons 15 to 30 mL sweetener (maple syrup, powdered sugar, cane sugar, etc.), to taste
- 1 vanilla bean seeds scraped, or ½ teaspoon (2 mL) pure vanilla extract (optional)
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl using electric beaters, beat together the coconut oil, sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla until smooth.
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Add the cinnamon, ground flax, ginger, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and salt. Beat until combined. Add the flour and beat again until combined. The dough should be moist and easy to roll into balls.
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Shape the dough into large balls, about 2 packed tablespoons (30 mL) each. Place the balls 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheet. Do not flatten the balls, or the cookies will not be as fluffy.
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Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the cookies have puffed up. Some might be lightly cracked on the surface.
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Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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Pipe Coconut Whipped Cream onto the cookies, if desired (make sure they are completely cool or the cream will melt). Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days or freeze them for up to 2 weeks.
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Chill the can of coconut milk in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
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About 1 hour before making the whipped cream, chill a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer in the freezer.
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Open the can and scoop the solid white coconut cream into the chilled bowl. Discard the coconut water or save it for another use (such as coconut water ice cubes).
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Using electric beaters or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream until fluffy and smooth. Add the sweetener and vanilla bean seeds (if using), and beat again.
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Cover the whipped cream and return it to the fridge until ready to use. It will firm up when chilled and soften at room temperature. The whipped coconut cream will keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or you can freeze it in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. After chilling in the fridge, let sit at room temperature until it softens slightly and then rewhip it as needed.
Note from Angela Liddon, author of Oh She Glows Every Day: “Some brands of canned coconut milk are better than others for making whipped cream, and some cans of the same brand may even vary quite a bit. For whatever reason, the cream and water in some brands or cans does not separate. A few of the most consistent brands for making coconut-whipped cream are: Thai Kitchen full-fat coconut milk, Trader Joe’s Coconut Cream, and Native Forest. I keep a few cans of full-fat coconut milk in my fridge at all times so I have backups in case I get a “dud.” If you happen to get a dud, don’t be discouraged. Try out one of the brands I’ve listed here, and be sure to chill it for at least 24 hours. If all else fails, So Delicious Coco Whip is a handy store-bought alternative to homemade coconut whipped cream. You can find it in the freezer section of some grocers like Whole Foods”.
Please link to your favorite recipes, I’m always open to trying new ones!
xox
