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lettuce wraps with black beans, spring onion, pea pesto, + a homemade hot sauce

I’ve been making and eating a lot of lettuce wraps recently. For lunch, for an appetizer, for no real reason at all. I know it might not sound very exciting, but trust me, I'm talking about some high-maintenance lettuce wraps here.

High-maintenance in the best way possible. Bear with me now...

Not the kind of high-maintenance that would scare you away. You know I don't like things to be too complicated around here. Just the kind of high-maintenance that takes something that needs a little fixing up and making it a little fancier.

It all started when I found the most beautiful head of butter lettuc e at my local Whole Foods, that was grown here, locally in Brooklyn. Beautiful lettuce from Brooklyn? I was smitten. This lettuce was meant for big, beautiful, veggie-filled lettuce wraps.

I started with a basic lettuce wrap with lots of raw veggies and some pea pesto that I had made recently. They were delicious. The pea pesto really made the wrap, but I thought maybe it could use a little something else.

A few days later, Michael and I wanted a snack, and I had a little leftover butter lettuce so I decided to make some more lettuce wraps. This time I added some black beans for some protein and a dash of hot sauce for some spice. These lettuce wraps rocked our world.

Because they were so good, I had to make them again. This time for myself for lunch, but I went one step further and I decided to make my own hot sauce. I have been dying to make my own sriracha for quite some time and in browsing some favorite blogs of mine I found this great recipe to make a proper sriracha (one that would taste exactly like the original but without the added preservatives) however it requires days of fermentation. Something I will be tackling soon, but not today. I needed some hot sauce, pronto.

So I found a few other recipes, this one from Winnie of Healthy Green Kitchen, via this post from Sarah from Sprouted Kitchen. It looked super easy so I gave it a go. This hot sauce is awesome. Although it is not exactly like sriracha, it is close enough for me. I made a large batch and have been putting it on anything and everything.

I have a thing for hot sauce if you couldn't guess.

Now, of course, if you are not a hot sauce person, you can totally leave it out. The lettuce wraps are just as great without it. You can also make up any combination of veggies and beans that you like. White beans and red pepper, chickpeas and carrots. This is a fridge leftover kid of recipe.

What's also great about these is that they are like a reconfigured salad. So if you are bored with your salad routine, go make yourself some fancy, high-maintenance lettuce wraps for lunch.

appetizer, gluten-free, party food, raw, sauce, snack, veganJodi MorenoApril 23, 2013avocado, black bean, lettuce, peas, red pepper Comments

beet tartare

Spending time with friends who have known you more than half your life is good for the soul. This past weekend Michael and I hung out with two of my oldest and greatest friends from high school and their families. As expected, it was like no time has past. We had such a great time.

Last night Michael told me his favorite part of the weekend (besides all of the excellent food, drink, and company ... of course) was when we whipped out our yearbooks and laughed about our chubby cheeks and high school crushes. Some memories had us laughing so hard tears were running down our face.

I also leaned that I apparently have the memory of an elephant ... which can be good or bad, depending on what embarrassing story pops into my head.

We were staying at my friend Sarah's mom's house which meant we were able to cook lots over the weekend. One of my favorite thing to do is cook a big meal with good friends.

The first night we got home pretty late so we decided to make a one pot concoction that included some of my favorite ingredients: brussles sprouts, quinoa, and avocado. We also ate the leftovers for breakfast one morning. Yep. And it was just as delicious.

The second night when Michael, Laura, and her family arrived, we made a big dinner for everyone. Michael surprised everyone by taking over as head chef in the kitchen. I love it when he cooks. We made a few different things, one being this sweet potato and red onion recipe. That recipe has become a go-to of mine because of how easy, fool-proof, and tasty it is.

Dinner was delicious and so much fun. A great new memory for my elephant brain.

We did not make this beet tartare recipe, however, Sarah totally made my day when she told me how many recipes she has tried from my blog, and I am hoping that she will be trying this one too soon :)

appetizer, gluten-free, party food, veganJodi MorenoMarch 25, 2013beets, capers, chives, mustard Comments

swiss chard + roasted garlic dumplings with a walnut sesame miso

I usually start thinking about my next meal before I've finished the current meal in front of me. Sometimes I start day dreaming about meals days or weeks ahead of time. If you're reading this, I am guessing you do the same.

This past weekend I visited one of my closest friends from college, Michal, in Switzerland. Michal and I both think about food and talk about food a lot. I knew this trip would involve some pretty great meals. And don't let those mountains in the background fool you, there was no physical activity happening on this trip ...... we didn't want anything to get in the way of our eating.

Before my trip, I was already thinking about the food I would eat while I was there, and what I would bring with me to eat on the plane. As you might remember, I have been trying to make food for my flights, especially the longer ones. Since I don't really enjoy flying, I like to make food that will make me happy. Looking forward to a good meal is one way to take my mind off of take-offs and bumpy rides.

Dumplings make me happy. I just love a good dumpling. I get excited when I see a dumpling, and even more excited when I eat a dumpling.

Before I made my first dumpling, I have to admit, I was intimidated (and maybe just a little lazy) to take on the task. Leave it to the experts, I thought. But let me tell you, once you start making your own dumplings, you'll never stop. It is so much easier that you would think, and this way you can come up with crazy concoctions that you would not be able to order from take out.

I bet you wouldn't find swiss chard dumplings at your local chinese food delivery place.

I love the idea of stuffing what is fresh and seasonal into a dumpling. Last fall I made some pumpkin dumplings, maybe this spring I will do some sort of pea dumpling. Right now there has been some stunning swiss chard in the markets, so I thought a fantastic dumpling combination would be swiss chard and roasted garlic, because swiss chard and roasted garlic go so well together.

The walnut miso was inspired by my favorite cookbook of the moment: Japanese Farm Foods. That book is such an awesome source of inspiration, I am sure you will be seeing more recipes + influences from that book here.

appetizer, party food, veganJodi MorenoFebruary 19, 2013garlic, miso, sesame seeds, swiss chard, walnuts Comments

mini quiches with jerusalem artichokes + chives

It's party time.

That time of year when you have two or three holiday parties to attend each Friday night up until New Year's.

I love a good party. I especially love a good holiday party. It seems like people are always in such a good mood during the holidays. Party mood, that is.

What make a party ... good? Good people, good food, good music, good alcohol, and all around good vibes. Throw in a christmas tree, some karaoke, and a guy dressed up like santa and, well, then you have a real shin-dig.

With all of the partying and entertaining that I have to do this month, I have been working on a few easy go-to recipes that I can bring or serve, whenever the occasion calls for it.

It's always good to have one or two party recipes up your sleeve. Ones that are easy to make, easy to eat, and can be made a little ahead of time.

Mini quiches are a great go-to party food. Not only are they easy to prepare, but you can also add or subtract ingredients based on what you have in your fridge or what is fresh. Only have potatoes and green onions - no problemo. Spinach and mushroom - that will do!

Bring these to a party and they will surly be a hit. Don't forget to bring a few extra santa hats for your host or hostess. Santa hats are always a hit too.

appetizer, gluten-free, party food, vegetarianJodi MorenoDecember 13, 2012chives, eggs, jerusalem artichokes Comments

the best ever cornbread with rosemary + serrano chilies // gluten-free

I cannot leave you with a recipe for chili, and not give you some cornbread to go with it.

A piece of crusty cornbread, a warm bowl of chili, a crisp kale salad, and a really good magazine .... the perfect way to spend a chilly saturday afternoon.

There is also no better way to feed a large group of hungry friends on football sunday. A quick batch of cornbread and big pot of chili, and you’re happily feasting.

There are a few things I look for in a cornbread to consider it really good:

1 – a crusty top layer
2 – a moist inner layer
3 – not so crumbly (you know, the kind that you can barley eat because it crumbles to bits)

bonus – super yummy things to flavor it like chilies and herbs.
double bonus – vegan or gluten-free (without knowing the difference).

So if I am going to post a recipe for cornbread, you know it has to pass this test. In case you’re wondering, this cornbread scored 120% (extra 10% for the chilies and rosemary + 10 more % for being gluten-free).

When I started working on this, the first and only blog I consulted was gluten-free girl. Shauna sure does know her stuff. Her recipe for gluten-free cornbread is flawless and absolutely delicious. I did make just a few tweaks. I know that not everyone is as ambitious as she is to make their own GF flour (ahem, me) but she does include an awesome video how to do it if you are interested. I also include a milk-free option because even though whole milk does do a wonderful job, it is not an ingredient I typically use. Lastly, I used maple syrup as a sweetener which is not only better for you than white sugar, it compliments this recipe so well. And of course I threw in some extra yummy things like rosemary and serrano chilies. Killer cornbread is born.

appetizer, gluten-free, party food, vegetarianJodi MorenoDecember 4, 2012corn, rosemary, serrano chilies Comments

sesame crusted quinoa + kale cakes

appetizer, gluten-free, party food, vegetarianJodi MorenoNovember 11, 2012kale, quinoa, sesame seeds Comments

loaded homemade hummus

I started writing this post from my dark, powerless apartment in downtown nyc. Thankfully for me that was the biggest inconvenience for me and my family during hurricane sandy. We now have power again, and things are slowly getting back to normal where I live.

We are extremely fortunate. This has not been the case with many people, especially those in the boroughs of NYC + the coast of NJ. The people who have not been as fortunate have weighed heavy in my thoughts.

I am always so impressed at the way new yorkers pull together in the wake of crisis and hard times. I'm also impressed with so many of my family members and friends who have donated their time and goods to people in need without any hesitation. We all know what we have to do, and taking care of our neighbors and people in need just comes naturally to the people of this area.

Whether you live in NY or not, there are ways you can help. I found a couple of links that can point you in the direction so you can donate your time, money, or goods to people who need it most.

7 ways to donate to hurricane sandy victims online via mashable

12 ways to donate time, skills, or supplies to hurricane victims via treehugger

buy an I (still) love NY t-shirt - 100% profits go to hurricane sandy relief

It may seem a bit trivial to post about something as simple as hummus while we are still recovering from one of the biggest disasters the nyc area has ever seen. We all have to get back to some sort of normalcy, and eating hummus daily is a part of my normal, everyday life.

I eat a lot of hummus. It's pretty much my go-to snack food, and because of this I find that it's definitely better for me to be making my own. This hummus, however, is a fancier hummus. A hummus I might make if I want to impress someone, or make for a fancy party or pot luck. The toppings are more of a creative suggestion, a guileline, not a rule. Feel free to omit the toppings though if you are not in a fancy mood.

*If you have any other suggestions/links on how to help hurricane sandy victims, or want to share what you did to help, please feel free to leave that info in the comments section below*

appetizer, gluten-free, party food, veganJodi MorenoNovember 2, 2012chickpeas, green onion, pine nuts, red pepper Comments

garlic + rosemary socca crepes with creamy leeks and roasted tomatoes // gluten-free + vegan

Gluten-free, although it might not be a new term in the world of food, it is a new term in my kitchen. With many friends and family who have become gluten-free recently, I found myself having to come up with gluten-free meals to make at home. No biggie, right?

Well, I have found this particularly tricky since, as you may know from following my blog, I avoid dairy as much as possible mainly because of dairy allergy I discovered I had about a year ago.

Bread & cheese, two of the most wonderful and easy foods to throw together. Who doesn't love bread and cheese?

People who have to live gluten and dairy free, that's who.

I always thought to myself ... okay ... I can sacrifice most of the butter and cheese as long as you don't take my bread away from me. Please.do.not.take.my.bread.away.from.me. And thankfully, I have zero sensitivity to gluten. However, I am discovering more and more that friends, and friends of friends, and family are having trouble with the gluten. So, you know what that means. Dinners and dinner parties around here are including less and less gluten. And, you know, it might not be such a bad thing.

Luckily, there are tons of great recipes and alternatives out there for doing things both gluten and dairy free.

Sometimes I just want to take a giant piece of bread and slap some soft, tangy, gooey goat cheese on top and call it a day. I had yet to find anything that really replaced that taste and gorgeous texture. I really needed to come up something that would nix that craving.

This recipe right here might be the answer.

Let me start with the "creamy" leeks. The creaminess comes from a tofu base. I know that might not sound so exciting, but hear me out. The tofu is blanched to get rid of any bean-like taste. Then a lot of other delicious seasonings are added to give it a lovely flavor. Once you throw it in with the caramelized leeks, it's heavenly.

Socca, if you're not familiar with it, is a crepe that is made with garbanzo bean flour and then baked. It is super easy to make, high in protein, and it's gluten-free.

Slap those leeks on top of the rosemary and garlic socca, place some roasted tomatoes on top, and you have one yummy, creamy, delicious, gluten-free and dairy-free snack or party-time app that everyone can eat.

appetizer, gluten-free, party food, veganJodi MorenoSeptember 18, 2012garlic, leeks, rosemary, tofu, tomato Comments

blt lettuce wraps // shiitake "bacon", lettuce, tomato & a chipotle mayo (vegan)

If you have not heard of or tried shitake bacon until now, then I am so happy to be the one to share this totally awesome little secret with you. If you have made shitake bacon before, then you already know how shitake mushrooms magically taste just.like.bacon when baked in the oven on low heat for 1 hour. Amazing, right? I think so.

The first time I tried shitake bacon was when Alexandrea Jamieson came to speak at one of our classes at NKCS ... and my mind was blown. Of course, being an ex-bacon lover I was skeptical. Nothing can ever really (naturally) replace or imitate the taste of bacon, right? Wrong.

Now granted, it's not like having a large greasy piece of bacon, think more like bacon bits. But for certain purposes like in a salad, over eggs, or in this BLT lettuce wrap - it does the job quite well.