fried banana wontons

a few months ago i posted about using wonton wrappers to make chik’n and mushroom wontons, and since then i have been experimenting with all their possibilities.  i’ve tried little veggie spring rolls, pumpkin potstickers, mini apple pie wontons, and now, the simpilest of all, fried banana wontons. there’s very little prep work to make these little treats.  just slice up a banana, sprinkle it with some ground cloves, fold the... Read More

i’m on twitter!

  i’ve recently taken up tweeting about what i’m up to.  if you follow me you can get the heads up on new foods i’m trying, restaurants i’m going to or recipe sneak peeks before i post them.  so if you want a little more sweet beet and green bean in your life, then check me out.  Read More

brown rice porridge

let’s face it, oatmeal can get a little boring. thankfully, oats aren’t the only grain you can enjoy at breakfast time.  a while ago i posted about making toasted buckwheat porridge and as a result, a friend recently suggested the idea of cooking brown rice as a breakfast dish. it’s pretty simple, mostly just brown rice with some soy milk and brown sugar to give it a creamy and sticky oatmeal texture, topped off with nuts or fruit... Read More

raw seaweed salad

there’s not too much to wakame seaweed.  it’s a little salty, has a subtly sweet flavor, and contains small amounts of fiber, iron and calcium.  but what makes it special is the presence of a compound called fucoxanthin, which has been associated with helping to burn fatty tissue. you can get a big bag of dried wakame super cheap in china town (i found mine for $2.19) and use it in salads, soups, or even just with rice.  for this recipe... Read More

pistachio cranberry biscotti

in italian, biscotti just means cookies – any type.  biscotti could be bite sized or as big as your head, flat or thick, crunchy or chewy, round or cut into shapes.  in the u.s., we have somehow adopted the word biscotti to mean a specific tuscan treat – a fairly basic cookie dough baked as a loaf, sliced and baked a second time.  they are perfect for dunking in coffee or tea, but were traditionally served with dessert wine. i decided... Read More

herb and corn meal onion rings

i appreciate a good onion ring when i taste one, but it’s hard to find a place that doesn’t fry them up in the same oil they cook the chicken fingers in.  similarly, the heavy all-flour batter typically used is way too thick, requiring a longer cooking, which results in an over-cooked onion inside. i took a stab at making my own with some delicious results – using corn meal instead of flour makes for a much lighter, fresher, crispier... Read More

curry tomato dipping sauce

this recipe started off as an attempt at ketchup, but the result was much thicker – and tastier – than a traditional ketchup.  the vinegar and brown sugar are standard for a ketchup recipe, giving it a tangy flavor, but i added some curry spices (turmeric, cumin and coriander) as well as some cayenne pepper and ginger powder to give it a little kick. pretty much anything fried would be delicious if dipped in this sauce, like french fries... Read More

all-oat crackers

i’ve been getting a lot of requests lately for gluten-free recipes. most of the veggie dishes i post are in fact gluten-free, but greens and soups aren’t in high demand from the gluten-free crowd. someone who is gluten sensitive really wants to enjoy all of the things flour addicts enjoy everyday – breads, cookies, baked goods, and in this case, crackers. i first got turned onto making my own crackers by smitten kitchen‘s... Read More

savory brussel sprouts

i don’t understand why brussel sprouts get such a bad rap.  if cooked right they can be just as delicious as any other green veggie, all you need to do is steam them a little to soften them up and then sauté away with your favorite flavors. to me, lemon is a requirement when cooking brussel sprouts.  pepper always goes well with lemon and of course i like to put garlic in just about anything i can.  when sautéed, these little sprouts... Read More

brownie waffles

cafe 101 in hollywood serves a brownie waffle sundae, which inspired this recipe.  before i was vegan, my friend tom and i would drive out to hollywood in the middle of the night just to share a fresh-off-the-iron brownie waffle topped with a scoop of ice cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup. now that i can’t handle such a dairy-fest, i’ve been dying to make a vegan version for myself.  luckily, my sister made that possible by giving... Read More