vegetarian Archives - Page 5 of 11

Watermelon Raspberry Agua Fresca

May 14, 2015 By Becky 12 Comments

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Watermelon Raspberry Agua Fresca | acalculatedwhisk.com

I “graduated” from my master’s program on Monday. We all walked across the stage, shook the provost’s hand, and got our picture taken with a little rolled up “diploma” that, when opened, basically congratulated us on having ALMOST finished our degrees. Even though the speech-language pathology program goes through August, my school only has one graduation ceremony a year, which means we all walk before taking our comprehensive exams and before our final semester has even begun.

Although it was, as my classmates are calling it, a “frauduation”, I deemed it cause for an actual celebration.

And what better way to celebrate than with a refreshing drink?

This agua fresca is so easy to make, but its unique color and flavor make it feel special. Agua fresca is often made with just watermelon, but I added raspberries here, too, to amp up the flavor and deepen the hue. The cool, sweet watermelon and tart raspberries make a great pair.

Roasted Romanesco with Za’atar Yogurt Sauce

February 26, 2015 By Becky 6 Comments

Strange coincidence: last year, on January 25th, 2014, I wrote about romanesco in a post entitled 7 Uncommon Vegetables for your Produce Bucket List. I had never seen romanesco in a store. I kept my eyes peeled for it all year, but could never find any. That is, until last Wednesday, when I finally spotted some at my local Whole Foods . . . on January 25th, 2015. Weird, right?

Coming across this gorgeous vegetable exactly one year after posting about it has me wondering if it might be magic. I mean, look at those spirals! According to Wikipedia, the number of spirals on a head of Romanesco is a Fibonacci number, and its form approximates a fractal. How is it possible that something like this exists?

In addition to its special properties, romanesco is delicious. I roasted it whole because I couldn’t bear to slice it up any sooner than I had to. Its flavor is similar to cauliflower and broccoli, but a little milder and nuttier. And, just like with cauliflower or broccoli, the browned bits are extra delicious. If you can’t find romanesco, you could definitely use one of its brassica cousins for this recipe instead.

Carrot Cake Pancakes with Maple Whipped Cream Cheese

February 18, 2015 By Becky 6 Comments

When I was a kid, my parents once let me put frosting on pancakes. I think it was a special occasion, with frosting left over from someone’s birthday cake, and it was definitely a one-time thing. But after that breakfast, I was ruined. Nothing else could ever compare.

In case you haven’t had the pleasure, let me just tell you right now: pancakes with frosting are the epitome of the good life, the breakfast of hedonists, the ultimate “treat yo’self” meal (Parks & Rec style).

Ginger Thyme Tea

November 30, 2014 By Becky 15 Comments

This caffeine-free ginger thyme tea is easy to make at home
and perfect for when you’re feeling under the weather.

I woke up Thanksgiving morning with the beginnings of a cold. Black Friday was even worse, with the irrepressible urge to nap setting in a mere three hours after I woke up. Yesterday, after getting over ten hours of sleep the night before, I spent the hours between six and eight pm dozing off on the couch with a purring cat on my stomach and a scarf wrapped around my head. I’ve gone through two pocket packs of tissues and finally had to cave and buy a full-size box.

Since I know a lot of people get sick around the holidays, I thought I’d share my favorite homemade remedy: a simple ginger thyme tea.

Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes

November 17, 2014 By Becky 15 Comments

I’m a little late to the pumpkin party this year. I bought a couple of cartons of pumpkin puree over a month ago because I knew the pumpkin cravings would eventually hit, but wasn’t sure when.

I made it through all of October and the first half of November without making a batch of my paleo pumpkin spice ice cream, a pumpkin and pecorino soufflé, or a pumpkin caramel cheesecake pie. I didn’t just not make any of those things–I didn’t even want them. It was like I was over pumpkin.

Butternut Squash Soup with Fried Garlic and Chili Oil

October 14, 2014 By Becky 14 Comments

A little over a week ago, my laptop gave me the prohibitory sign when I tried to turn it on. Now that’s all it will do–show a gray screen with a circle with a slash through it, and one of those little timers that never stops turning.

I’m in the process of mourning the photos I lost and trying to scrape together money to buy a new computer. Luckily, my school lent me a laptop to use in the interim–a giant, clunky monster of a PC, but so much better than nothing. I’ve been comforting myself with this soup.

Squash Noodles with Everything Pesto (and an egg on top)

July 23, 2014 By Becky 4 Comments

It has been a very long time since I’ve posted a recipe, and I’m hoping these squash noodles with everything pesto and a fried egg on top will at least partly make up for it. Things have been busy at school, and it’s getting harder and harder to blog often and stay on top of my readings and projects. However, I am sure you do not want to hear about that. I bet you’d rather hear about this brunch (dinner? lunch? midnight snack?) recipe that’s paleo, grain-free, vegetarian, and ridiculously delicious.

I have to admit that I was unsatisfied with zoodles (zucchini + noodles = zoodles) for a long time, due mostly to unrealistic expectations. Anyone who tells you that zoodles taste just like regular pasta is either totally lying or has a vastly different palate from mine. You can’t expect these to taste like linguine.

Mocha Pistachio Ice Cream (Dairy Free, Coconut Free)

July 9, 2014 By Becky 4 Comments

Sadly, it turns out that I’m allergic to coconut.

This is especially devastating because coconut is the miracle food source of the paleo world. Coconut milk, sugar, flour, oil, and butter are all delicious, and do an impressive job of standing in for their non-paleo counterparts.

I can’t help but wonder if my sudden increase in coconut intake during my January Whole30 was what caused my allergy to surface. But, no matter the cause, I won’t be partaking in any coconut anytime soon. Eating raw coconut makes me feel awful, and my doctor told me not to eat cooked coconut either unless I first sit through a challenge test in his office. The test would consist of me bringing in some food with cooked coconut in it, eating it one bite at a time, and seeing if I go into anaphylactic shock or anything. I told him no thanks for now.

Choco-Ginger Truffles

June 27, 2014 By Becky 10 Comments

The chocolates pictured here are survivors of a kitchen disaster.

Truffles are easy and fun to make, and I find the process comforting. To make these ones, I peeled a chunk of ginger with a spoon (like this), grated it with a microplane, and dropped it into a saucepan with almond milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Once the mixture had come to a robust simmer, I poured it over a bowl of chocolate chips. I whisked the mixture into shiny perfection: truffle batter.

So far, so good. I let the batter chill in the freezer, compartment of choice for impatient truffle-makers. When it was firm, I formed the truffles with a melon baller, a method I learned from watching Ina Garten. If you don’t have a melon baller, you can approximate one with a teaspoon measure; just make sure you dip the utensil in hot water in between truffles, and don’t be afraid to scoop forcefully.

After a quick roll in some cocoa powder, the truffles were almost ready. I ate one, consumed the equivalent of another by scraping the bowl with a spoon so that no gingery chocolate would go to waste, and stashed the tray with the twenty remaining truffles in the fridge to chill.

Why Avocado Belongs in Your Smoothies

June 14, 2014 By Becky 4 Comments

photos via Instagram

I have a new morning routine. It begins at 5:30, and goes like this. First, I stumble to the sink, get a glass of water, and drink it on the couch, usually while staring blankly at my Instagram feed. After a minute, I’ve built up the energy necessary to take steps to obtain coffee, which then fuels the rest of my activities. If there is coffee in the machine from the day before, I drop in three ice cubes and congratulate myself on making iced coffee. If the machine is empty, I grumble a lot, make a new pot, and settle for hot coffee.

When the coffee hits, it’s time to make a smoothie. The smoothie is the highlight of my morning, and it’s all because of the humble avocado.

A friend gave me an incredulous look recently when I mentioned putting avocado in my smoothies. I only started adding them in April, but they’ve already become such a smoothie essential for me that I was totally flabbergasted by her response. I am writing this blog post on the off chance that you, like my friend, have not tried putting avocado in your smoothies yet.

Here are five quick reasons you should do it:

Pico de gallo de frutas

May 2, 2014 By Becky 4 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This pico de gallo de frutas is a spicy take on fruit salad that is paleo, gluten free, and vegan. It’s perfect for Cinco de mayo or anytime!

After I graduated from college, I moved to Houston and became a bilingual teacher. I had the most amazing group of students, and was lucky enough to be their teacher for three years in a row: kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. We spoke Spanish almost all day, except for an hour or so of ESL. Their kindergarten year was my first year of teaching, as well as my first year living far away from home. While those things made it a difficult year for me, my kids and their families were absolutely fabulous. A lot of people may say this, but I truly think I could not have asked for a better group of students. They worked as a team almost from the beginning–embracing me, each other, and all the new students that trickled in (and sometimes out, and sometimes back again) over the course of our three years together. They were unbelievably kind, patient, tolerant, bright, and hilarious.

At the end of three years, I had learned a huge amount of Spanish (I had thought I was fluent before taking the job, but the Spanish spoken in Texas is so different from what I’d practiced while studying abroad in Argentina that I had to learn new words for much of what I wanted to say). Most of them had learned a huge amount of English, and had learned to read in both languages. I had also learned so much about teaching, about children and families, and about life. I know that sounds very expansive, but it was a foundational experience for me, and I think of those kids and their families almost everyday. Shockingly (to me, because it makes me feel so old), they’re in middle school now, and I’m happy to still be in touch with several of them.

Roasted Beet & Carrot Salad with Goat Cheese Vinaigrette

April 28, 2014 By Becky 32 Comments

What’s your favorite color? Mine is pink (shocking, right?).

When I was scrolling through the recipes on K & K Test Kitchen to choose something to make for this month’s Secret Recipe Club, the gorgeous hue of this healthy salad caught my eye. By the time I read the words “goat cheese” near the end of the post title, I was totally sold. When I see a food that’s naturally bright pink and has my favorite kind of cheese in it, I sign myself right up.

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