maple cookies with marmalade glaze

my kitchen activities have been adapting to the cold and windy days lately.  i’ve been making weekly pots of stew, roasting nearly every veggie, sprinkling cinnamon and maple syrup in most dishes i make and preserving the glut of citrus i’ve happened upon in the form of marmalades and candied peels.  it takes a bit more time, but when it’s dark and cold outside i don’t mind snuggling up to my nice warm stove, eagerly awaiting... Read More

bbq lentil and baked sweet potato soup

soup is hands down my favorite food, so i’m always coming up with new ways to brew up a pot of something tasty.  i used to be big on puréed soups, but lately – perhaps out of sheer laziness – i tend to prefer something chunkier.  whenever i get a chance i bake a few sweet potatoes and set them aside for later.  when they cool they are easy to peel and toss the chunks into a hardy stew. paired with lentils and subtle hints of... Read More

chocolate chip gingerbread cupcakes with cardamom infused frosting

this recipe started as a far cry from what it ended up as.  it began with a gingerbread persimmon upside-down cake that was a true disaster.  all the persimmons stuck to the pan, the cake wasn’t sweet or moist enough, and most of all it had no chocolate.  but 4 or 5 tries later and the result is an amazingly fluffy and moist squad of cupcakes with little chocolate chips tucked inside of them. to top them off is a recipe i’ve been playing... Read More

the natural goodness of ginger

ginger has been used for thousands of years in chinese medicine to treat stomach disorders like persistent nausea, motion sickness, morning sickness, loss of appetite or anorexia.  but it also treats mild lung disorders, like upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis or a simple cold and cough.  it reduces toxicity which means it is anti-bacterial, and explains why ginger is always served with sushi – to battle the bacteria in the raw... Read More

orange ginger tofu – and a few words on soy

there’s an email that has been sitting in my inbox for a few weeks now, and i think it’s time i finally address it.  new reader, paula, appreciated my story and how i gradually found that healthier choices in my diet improved my quality of life.  because of this she felt she had to share with me a little information on the dangers of soy. it’s true, in the past year or so it has become overwhelmingly apparent that soy,  which... Read More

christmas cookies: ginger snaps

we are in the holiday home stretch!  and while christmas baking it truly meant for, well, christmas, it can be liberally extended to new year’s day ( just like keeping your tree up).  so get all of those purely-decadent-and-much-too-sweet-for-the-rest-of-the-year recipes in now while you still can! here at sweet beet & green bean i’ve been celebrating with a whole month of vegan christmas cookies, including russian tea cakes, thumbprint... Read More

peanut tofu stir fry

tofu is a wonder food for vegans and vegetarians alike.  it often gets a bad rap for being bland or tasteless, a misconception perpetuated by restaurants that serve up soggy, flavorless blocks that just makes my taste buds sad.  if you marinade tofu correctly and cook it in just the right way, it can be super tasty.  toss a few fresh veggies in and you’ve got yourself quite a meal. Read More  Read More

nutritious and delicious mango kale smoothie

i use to work at a smoothie bar, where i learned of the many things you can blend and/or juice into a drink.  you can blend whole lemons and limes, an avocado with the pit and pretty much any green leafy vegetable you can get your hands on. if done right a smoothie can be like enjoying an entire meal through a straw. Read More  Read More

spicy carrot apple and ginger soup

carrot apple and ginger juice was one of my favorite drinks when i used to work at a juice bar. and i always heard of people making carrot ginger soup, so i put the two together and made up a sweet and spicy soup perfect for autumn time. it has several different layers of spicy, from the soothing and warming spice of the ginger to the hot and sharp spice of the pepper.  it warms you from the inside out just like any great soup should. if you want... Read More