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apple + sage + oat crisp ... in a jar! | gf + vegan

I am still on a bit of a sage binge, but now I have turned it's attention to dessert. Not just any dessert. One of my all-time favorite comfort deserts, one that I make over and over this time of year.

I've also been kind of obsessed with the idea of making a dessert in a jar. I've seen apple pie in a jar, and I always thought that it had a bit of a fun and wow factor rather than just serving as it normally would be.

Years ago, when we first started dating, Michael took me on a date to this fancy place that cooked and served everything in mason jars. I loved it, he totally impressed me with that one. I am a sucker for food things that are interesting and different (even if a bit gimmicky).

When they came over to serve our food, the waiter carrier over an uber-hot jar with some sort of tong holder thing (just like those ones you would use for canning) and then he spooned it from the jar onto the plate. They cooked the food low and slow in those jars, and the results were quite delicious. That place has since closed, and I have yet to find anywhere that does something similar. Such a unique idea. Things in jars are always more fun.

I’ve been brainstorming about my dessert in a jar for weeks now, and I've been craving a good apple crisp. Apple crisp is so much easier to thorw together than a pie, but it is just as satisfying … sometimes more. Alternate layers of crisp and apple is how a crisp should be. Equal part crispy goodness, equal part sweet apple yum.

Serving them in a jar is fun because adds a bit of interaction if you have guests. It also has a practical element because you can make them ahead, put a lid on them, and save them until you are ready to bake/eat. If you're having a party, I would pre-bake it, that way you can pop them in the oven shortly before you're ready to serve. Just be sure that if you are serving them to your guests in the jar that they are cool enough to touch, or else you'll need to provide some sort of oven mitt or heat proof towel for them to spoon it out. Better yet, it's probably better if you bring it over to their plate spoon it out for them. I'm sure they'd be impressed.

Before you ask, I am going to answer the question that might be burning in your brain, which is …. No, these jars are not going to explode all over your oven. I promise. I’ll admit, I was a tinge nervous putting them into the oven that I was going to have a mess of glass and crisp all over the place, but I've done it a few times, and everything was fine. You MUST use canning jars for this, because canning jars were made to take the heat. They are made to withstand boiling water which means they can easily withstand the heat of a 350º oven.

This recipe is for a basic, vegan, gluten-free crisp which you have probably seen around before. The sage mingles so well with apples, if you love sage feel free to add as much as you like. You can also experiment with different crisp combinations in these jars. I think pears with be great, or if you want to get crazy and more savory, go for some butternut squash.

The only thing I will not negotiate with you is the ice cream. It is a must. I always use a dairy-free coconut based vanilla, but any type or flavor that you like will do just fine. A crisp is not a crisp without the cold melty ice cream to go with it.

dessert, gluten-free, party food, veganJodi MorenoNovember 6, 2013apples, oats, sage Comments

cauliflower + hazelnut soup with fried sage

I live a little less than a mile from the Union Square Greenmarket, which, if you're not familiar, is an open-air farmers market in NYC that is open a few days out of the week. It's where I get most of my produce.

On Mondays, I strap on some comfy shoes, grab my reusable bags, and walk (or bike) over there with my list of produce for the week. I've been doing this for several months now, so I have started to know the market well, along with some of the vendors and farmers. I have my routine down and my favorite stops.

Mondays have become my favorite day because the market is slightly less crowded in the early morning, and a couple of my favorite vendors are there on that day. One place has quickly become my #1 favorite, because they're organic produce is some of the best looking, and they always have have fun things like watercress micro greens and romanesco cauliflower.

The other day, I picked up a gorgeous head of broccoli and several cauliflower heads from them, and as I was checking out I had a little conversation with a woman who runs the farm. She told me how hard it was to organically grow broccoli and cauliflower and that in order to keep them safe from little critters without spraying them, she (herself) would go around and pick off little munching caterpillars and bugs by hand.

Really? Wow. Awesome. That's some serious dedication.

I told her that there were no words to express how much I appreciated that. I thanked her and walked away feeling grateful that there are people out there, like this lady, who care so much about the quality of food that they provide for people. She rocks.

Cauliflower has been on my grocery list pretty much every week since the Fall came around. I cannot seem to get enough of it. But this soup was not originally about the cauliflower. It actually started with the sage.

Last weekend before making my market list, I had harvested the last of the herbs from my garden - half to be frozen to use in smoothies, and the other half I was going to dry. But as I was cutting my herbs, I realized I had so much sage. So much. Probably because I hardly used sage in the summer, but now the sage needed my love.

I've beena little obsessive with the sage over the past week. Sage with roasted vegetables, sage in salad, fried sage. Yes, fried sage. It sounds un-healthy, but it really is not. Lightly frying sage just makes it a crispy and flaky and mellows out the sage-ness, so it goes really well over soups and salads.

When it comes to soup and most other things, I like lots of toppings. I love the contrast in tastes and textures. Every bite is something different, so it keeps things interesting. This soup has a lot of toppings, starting with that insanely tasty fried sage. You can add more or less depending on your tastes, but I'd err on the side of more. You'll be happy you did.

Cauliflower, sage, and hazelnuts are all such signature tastes of Fall, when you put them together, it's like a Fall explosion. They were all meant to be, together, in one big bowl, especially around this time of year.

gluten-free, soup, veganJodi MorenoOctober 31, 2013cauliflower, hazelnut, sage Comments

mini pumpkin empanadas | vegan spelt crust

As a kid, if you would have asked me where (edible) pumpkin came from, without hesitation I would answer: from a can. The thought of chopping up a pumpkin for anything other than decoration and recreation would have baffled me. I always thought that "real" pumpkins were for carving, and canned pumpkin was for eating.

Because of this childhood confusion, I still feel a little weird about buying a pumpkin at the grocery store, chopping it into pieces, and roasting it in the oven. Not to mention, lugging it around new york city with me. Awkward.

The other day I went to the store to buy a pumpkin for cooking purposes. I was scouring the selection in Chelsea Market, trying to pick out the biggest size I could carry home comfortably. Not an easy task. I had a store employee helping me out, we were picking up pumpkins one by one until I found one that fit perfectly in my arms.

If I was going to make the effort to carry a several pound pumpkin home, I wanted to have pumpkin leftovers for days. I wanted to make multiple meals with this one large pumpkin.

I purchased my big orange pumpkin, and several small white ones (for decoration), and I was on my way home, arms stretched long around the pumpkin hoping, praying it doesn't drop and smash on the sidewalk into a million pieces.

When I got my pumpkin home, I sat it outside next to the two little ones. I was still feeling a little conflicted. He looked so happy sitting there with the other pumpkins ... was I really going to chop him up, or could he just stay there happily decorating our front stoop.

Okay, get a hold of yourself. It is just a pumpkin. It does not have feelings, and if I were a pumpkin I would so much rather be an empanada instead of being stoop decor.

It was settled, pumpkin empanadas were the winner.

As I am sure you guessed, canned pumpkin does not makes it's way into my home anymore. I'm homemade all the way here. But because I live in NYC and the whole pumpkin carrying business is less than ideal, I usual roast only one or two pumpkins over the course of the fall with the hopes of getting a few different recipes out of them. And because of their short season and the labor involved in roasting them, I am sure you probably do the same.

Pumpkin soup, pumpkin salad, pumpkin patties, pumpkin ice cream, all have made their way to my pumpkin recipe wish list this season. But first were these empanadas.

Originally these guys were going to be mini pumpkin hand pies, but when I posted a picture on Instagram a few people commented that they looked like empanadas. Sooo, I immediately consulted with my live-in empanada expert (Michael). He tried one and he agreed - these were totally empanadas. Really good empanadas.

appetizer, fall, party food, veganJodi MorenoOctober 22, 2013pumpkin, spelt Comments

fig + butternut squash + marinated kale salad with a balsamic reduction

Okay, I have roasted my first butternut squash and unpacked my sweater box, I am finally ready for Fall now. Actually, I have already roasted three butternut squashes, so I guess I am in full Fall mode.

I had a version of this salad at one of my favorite restaurants recently, and ever since then I have recreated it a few times, a few different ways, and this way right here is the winner.

This site is no stranger to marinated kale salad, and I would like to think that I have a small arsenal of kale salad favorites for each season. This fig and butternut squash combination is my current favorite Fall version. It’s easy to throw together if you have guests coming over, and it is a fun combination that some might not expect.

I used to be one of those "I don't do fruit in salad" people. But, as you can see here and here, I guess I can no longer claim to be one of those people. As long as the sweetness of the fruit's purpose is to balance out the savory, I am all about fruit in my salad. Especially this salad.

gluten-free, salad, veganJodi MorenoOctober 7, 2013balsamic, butternut squash, figs, kale Comments

soba noodles with roasted zucchini, cherry tomatoes + swiss chard pesto

It's been quiet around here recently, and for a good reason. This little space of mine is getting an well-deserved update, and I should be up and running with the new site next week.

But while that has been going on behind the scenes, the late summer vegetables are still lingering, in my backyard as well as in the market, and knew I needed to jump back on here and share one last late summer favorite. I hope you haven't moved onto butternut squash on me already.

It's kind of that in-between season time right now, the days are still warm but at night the chilly air is sneaking it's way in, and before we know it jackets will make their way back into our daily wardrobe. It right about this time that I start roasting my veggies instead of eating them raw, and this is one of those recipes I will be using to get my last bit of late summer indulgence on.

This swiss chard pesto is a new one for me and I've been putting it on anything and everything. I've make kale pesto, and I've made plenty of basil varieties, but this swiss chard pesto is going to be a new staple. Plus it is just another way for me to use and freeze the mass amounts of swiss chard I ended up with in my garden this season.

entree, veganJodi MorenoOctober 1, 2013pumpkin seeds, soba noodles, swiss chard, tomato, zucchini Comments

chocolate + almond butter + banana bites | cacao crunch

Recently, the best place to find me would be standing in front of my refrigerator with a spoon in a jar of almond butter. This is new to me. I've officially crossed over to the dark side. Please tell me you've been there too.

This love for almond butter crept up on me slowly until it became a full-blown obsession. Now, my day is not complete without a scoop of almond or peanut butter in my mouth.

I've been trying to come up with different ways to feed my all my AB/PB cravings. I'll have a scoop of it over some banana after a workout, I smear it over some apples for a mid-day snack, I make it in a smoothie with cacao and mint and have it for breakfast, and I eat it straight out of the jar .... oh sorry, I've already mentioned that.

I've been trying to come up with another way that I can devour my favorite treat, and I decided I wanted something that incorporated not just almond butter, but my favorite things to eat with my almond butter.

I thought about dipping bananas into some sort of almond butter chocolate concoction, then I thought, sure that would be great, but how often am I going to make that. Then, the light bulb went off. I can just blend everything together and make fun little bite sized snack things. Simple. Easy. Yes!

You know what is awesome about these bites? I can eat them for breakfast and I pretend like I am being really bad, but actually I am being really really good. Give me one of these little bites over a muffin any day of the week. In fact, give me 7. These also make awesome snacks, as well as dessert that you can bring over to a friend's house. Loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, this could be one of the healthiest and tastiest little bites you will ever put in your mouth.

Be sure to adjust any ingredients depending on the amount that you are going to eat out of the jar/blender.

dessert, gluten-free, raw, snack, veganJodi MorenoSeptember 10, 2013almond butter, almonds, banana, cacao, dates Comments

swiss chard enchiladas with avocado + mango salsa and green tahini

Hey guys, guess what? I want to be the one to tell you this, so here it goes. Summer isn't over yet. Just because Labor Day has come and gone, I am not turning in my flip flops for knee-high boots just yet. I am going to soak up every last second. As long as I have a slight hint of tan on my legs and vegetables in the garden it's summer in my mind.

This summer was a productive one for me. I had some pretty serious goals I was trying to accomplish, but within the serious goals I had some not so serious ones I was aiming for too.

Try to wiggle in a couple of beach days in-between working on the cookbook (check).
Have fun (check).
Sleep in during the last week of August (check).
Work on my garden and improve my green thumb skills (check).

Last summer I planted my first garden on my own, and I had very few successes and way too many zucchinis and mini-pumpkins. This summer I had a different strategy. I may have cheated a little, but I think it was necessary in my learning process.

I planted my garden with plants I bought that had already sprouted. Some may call this cutting corners, others may call this smart, but since I am not a person who can dedicate all of my attention to my garden, it turned out to be the best decision I could have made. My entire garden was a success (except for some little creature who was loving my kale) but besides that we now have a beautiful and balanced garden that is full of gorgeous summer vegetables.

I have been eating mostly from the garden for the past few weeks, and as far as home cooked meals go, there is not much that beats that.

I planted a few swiss chard plants in my garden and by mid-August they had grown to have some of the biggest leaves I have ever seen. I'm talking seriously big. I had to do something fun with them.

You know I am not one to take the safe route and just throw them into a pan and satuée them. I wanted to come up with something totally different. After several attempts, these enchiladas came to be.

Michael and I had a little bit of a debate on what to call these. Actually, the debate was sparked because I was accidentally calling them "empanadas" and he vehemently protested. Empanadas are one of Michael's great food loves, so I wouldn't want to mess with them. Woops! Enchiladas ... not empanadas! Once we sorted out the confusion, he agreed that "enchiladas" made more sense.

Traditional enchiladas are made with a corn or flour tortilla that has some kind of filling, topped off with a tomato based sauce and typically lots of cheese and then baked. Over here, I have a slightly different take on enchiladas for you. Subbing out the processed, carb-heavy tortilla for swiss chard is bold move in the health direction. And, by sticking with the green theme, adding in a green tahini instead of a tomato based sauce and cheese still satisfies the creamy texture but in a much more "still kind-of bathing suit season" sort of way. This is a perfect light, but indulgent, meal to ease into late late summer.

entree, gluten-free, sauce, veganJodi MorenoAugust 29, 2013avocado, bean, cilantro, mango, rice, swiss chard, tahini, white Comments

tomato + avocado + corn + basil + quinoa salad

Dont' worry .... I do not not need a tomato and corn intervention ..... yet.

I do realize that this is about my fourth recipe this summer that involves tomatoes and/or corn. I don't plan on changing the name of this blog to tomato lovers anonymous, and I promise I have noticed that there are plenty of other wonderful summer fruits and vegetables that are begging for my attention too.

As you can tell, I have been completely smitten with tomatoes and corn and a bit obsessed with getting in as many of their indulgences that I can. I promise (with fingers crossed behind my back) that this is the last post involving corn and tomatoes (together). Everywhere I go, including my backyard, all I see are these gorgeous tomatoes and bushels of corn begging to be enjoyed. I just can't help myself.

I posted a picture of this salad on facebook and instagram a few days ago when I was working on the recipe, and never before did I have so many demands for the recipes. Demands! I had planed on posting this recipe sometime next week, but with so many requests I knew it could not wait.

I had thought you were over my tomato and corn pictures and posts, but I was mistaken. Apparently you and I are the same, and you want to savor every second of these tomato and corn filled months as much as I do. Apparently you and I are heirloom tomato and sweet summer corn soulmates.

Last week one of my oldest and closest friends came to visit from Denver with her boyfriend. As with any long weekend with good friends, it was filled with lots and lots of laughs, plenty of great meals, some seriously delicious key lime pie, fancy homemade lattes, and big bottles of rosé. The first night they arrived, we swung by our friend's parent's house to say hello, and while we were there one of her friends was preparing this awesome looking summer salad with corn, tomatoes, basil and avocado. YUM. It took everything in my power not to jump right in and devour their salad.

The next night I insisted that we make that same salad, and we did. It was then that I decided that this was THE perfect summer salad. Since then I have made this salad another three times. It has only been a week. And you know what? I can (and probably will) eat this every other day until summer vegetables start to dwindle.

Don't you worry, I have plenty of fun, creative recipes involving some of the other wonderful summer veggies coming your way ... but for now, let's enjoy these gorgeous plum, ripe tomatoes, and super sweet corn while we can. The way they were meant to be. With just a touch of really god olive oil, salt + pepper, and a few other goodies.

gluten-free, salad, side dish , veganJodi MorenoAugust 21, 2013avocado, basil, corn, green onion, pine nuts, quinoa, tomato Comments

heirloom tomato + avocado + zucchini stacks with a tomato almond pesto

Let's be serious for a second. I'm not fooling anyone with this vegetable stack.

You and I both know that stacking vegetables makes them look wayyy better than if I were to just carelessly throw them into a salad. It's impressive, it's fun, it's thought out, it makes you feel super creative. We should all be stacking more vegetables.

It's like when I get my hair blown out, I just feel a little more fancy and little more special. Same hair, same person, just a little something extra. Same tomatoes, same ingredients, but they just look and feel a little more special.

When I was at the market the other day, I saw dozens of gorgeous heirloom tomatoes. I wanted to take a bunch home and love them and make them feel special. I didn't want to mutilate them, I wanted to show off their quirky crevices and imperfect shape. I wanted to bring out their juicy texture and taste. I wanted to throw a party and have them be the main event.

Well, I ended up making this salad and ate it all by myself for lunch. Tomato party for one .... why not, right? But as I was eating it, I daydreamed about how impressive it would be to walk out with these gorgeous stacks of tomatoes as an appetizer at our next bqq. I am going to do that, I think you should too.

appetizer, gluten-free, raw, salad, sauce, summer, veganJodi MorenoAugust 7, 2013avocado, pumpkin seeds, shallots, tomato, zucchini Comments

mango + white peach galette with coconut cream + a cookbook announcement!

Chase Happiness.

What fantastic words to live by.

When I was surfing the radio the other morning, I caught the tail end of a discussion on this topic, and I have not been able to get these two words out of my head since. In the same category as following you heart and dreams, this particular phrase really hits home to me. I feel like I can say with a big smile on my face that I have subconsciously always lived my life like this, more so in recently years, and I want to make sure that when I look back on my life, this phrase will have defined much of it.

Chasing happiness is such a wonderful thing, because it does not only about the big and the grand, it can also be about finding those little moments in your day that put a smile on your face. And sometimes, all those little happy moments are what lead us to the bigger ones.

Like eating a fresh white peach and mango galette with right out of the oven (small happy moment)

Or, writing on a cookbook that is going to be released in the Summing of 2014 (giant happy moment)

Yep. That was my way of announcing to you that for the past few months, I have been keeping a big, huge, ginormous, happy secret from you. For the past few months, I have been working on my first cookbook that is going to be loaded with the same kind of goodness that you get here.

I guess it goes without saying that writing a cookbook has always been a dream of mine. I always thought that writing a cookbook would be the ultimate tangable object to define my life in the kitchen. I've been chasing that happy dream for years, and here we are. Wow. I could not be more excited.

My book, title is still in the works, is going to be published in the Spring of 2014 by Skyhorse Publishing. It is going to have a party theme (you know I love a good party). It's going to have the same kinds of healthy indulgent recipes you find here, but with a focus on entertaining. Fun party food, dinner party menus and tips, and ton and tons of inspiring photos. I seriously cannot wait to share it with you. In the meantime, I will be sure to be giving lots of updates on the book here, including sneak peaks of some of the recipes, as well as plenty of instagrams and behind the scene photos.

So today, in celebration, I made you a galette. A galette is a fancy word for a not-so-fancy pie. It's rustic, it's rough around the edges, it's crazy delicious. It is about 10 times easier to make than a pie, and pretty much fool-proof. If you know me, you are well aware of my love for pie ... but I have to tell you something .... these easy-going galettes may have won my heart over.

Go! Chase happiness. Eat some pie (or a galette). Let's celebrate!

dessert, gluten-free, veganJodi MorenoAugust 1, 2013coconut milk, mango, peach Comments

yellow tomato + corn gazpacho

I’ve been dreaming about yellow gazpacho ever since Meghan + her friend and I shared one over lunch about a month ago when she was in town. We had a delicious brunch at a restaurant around the corner from where I live, and the star of that meal was the gazpacho we ordered. We wondered if it was weird to share soup as a starer, but after one bite no one cared. We were so happy we ordered that dreamy gazpacho.

A few weeks after that yellow gazpacho, I had another one that was just as delicious with Michael and my Mom. This one had corn and a few other goodies. It sounded so good, we each ordered one. That was the right decision.

I'm not sure why yellow gazpacho has got me all hot and bothered this summer, but there is something about the yellow vegetables that make it just right. I think it is maybe because the yellow fruits and vegetables have the perfect balance of sweet and tart. And that color! I cannot get over how bright and happy it is. It makes you feel happy when you eat it.

I've been waiting to make my own yellow gazpacho, because the later in the summer we get, the better the corn and the tomatoes get. So the other day when I took a trip to the farm stand and found perfectly ripe yellow tomatoes and loads of delicious looking corn ... I knew it was time.

I like easy recipes, but in the summer I like realllly easy recipes. Why? Because that means more time outside, at the beach or in the pool. In the summer, I do not really feel like slaving in the kitchen, or eating something hot for lunch. Salads and cold soups are the way to go.

This recipe can be whipped up in a quick 10 minutes. Your friends can be outside soaking up some sun, while you run inside, throw these ingredients into a blender, pour them into little cups and place the fancy garish on top. They will be so utterly impressed.

gluten-free, soup, veganJodi MorenoJuly 25, 2013almonds, corn, green onion, tomato, yellow pepper Comments

falafel tacos with avocado + green harissa

Today is my birthday. I am not someone who does not like people to know it is their birthday, Obviously. I am a little like a 10 year old when it comes to my birthday, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. I don't mind getting older. Actually, I enjoy it. I like that I am slightly wiser (emphasis on slightly), but I have more energy than I did 10 years ago, and I hope that 10 years from now I will be lucky enough to say the same thing.

I don't love the spotlight aspect of birthdays (I really don't), and I don't necessarily want gifts of free things, or 15% off at Anthropology (however, I will not turn them down). I love my birthday because it is the one day all year when I get to connect with all the people in my life that I love.

I love all the phone calls, texts, facebook messages and conversations that you don't always get to have on a normal day. I love getting friends together and celebrating, eating great food, and having a good time. That's what it's all about.

So before I run off to do birthday things, I wanted to share this recipe that I have been dying to get out to you. I know you love falafel as much as I do, and tacos, I know you love tacos too ... so this is how we are going to celebrate my birthday today.

Throw some spicy harissa in there, and avocado (OF course) .... and we're having a birthday party in a warm corn tortilla.