I’m not gonna lie, one of the things I have missed the most during this pandemic (aside from the obvious stuff) are baked goods from my favorite local gluten-free and vegan bakery. I used to see a client in that neighborhood weekly, and it became a tradition of sorts to pick up a little treat after our sessions.

They have amazing GF and vegan donuts, but they also have this lemon loaf with a pink-colored lemon frosting that I could probably lick by the spoonful. When one of my favorite food brands asked me to bake a spring-y recipe for a partnership, I jumped at the chance to create a little twist on the lemon loaf I love so much.

Do you guys remember that nostalgic and very specific taste of brownies made from a boxed mix? I honestly miss that classic flavor and chewy texture, and I typically am not a fan of fancy bakery brownies because they feel like they’re trying to be something that they are not meant to be. Then add in my inability to eat gluten, dairy, or almonds, and it really only left me with mixes that were pure sugar and cornstarch or tahini brownies that were good but the taste of tahini was far overpowering for what I wanted a classic brownie to be.

Enter. These. Brownies.

It’s funny when I look back at some older recipes on this blog because I read my words about what was going on at the time that blog post was published, and then I am immediately flooded with memories from that era. Well, the time I am currently living in is the height of quarantining and social distancing for the sake of Covid-19. In the past 30-ish days or so, we have cooked every single meal (except 1) at home— which is truly a world record of sorts for any New Yorker. Right now is a time in which I’ve been playing Macgyver with the contents of our fridge + pantry most days, strategically using produce by the order in which they expire so that we don’t waste anything.

Not many things better than curling up with a bowl of classic chili and Netflixing, IMHO. I’ve never made chili so many times in my life as I have this past winter season, because not only is it just an amazingly easy thing to batch cook to have delicious leftovers around all week (and leftover chili is often even better!), but also there’s something just so comforting and cozy about these flavors! This easy and flexible recipe is a major household favorite over here.

Elderberry has become one of the cool kids on the block for its immunity-boosting benefits— but like many of the homeopathic health remedies that have become so popular in recent years, the European Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) has been used in syrups and juices for centuries for its powerful properties. Nowadays, you find them as syrups, in lozenges, gummies, and in foods.

Right around this time at the beginning of December, I start craving those warming spices of nutmeg and cinnamon, and get an itch to bake all the things— so this pumpkin spice muffin recipe is the perfect combination of everything! It’s also gluten-free, vegan-optional, and nut-free, so it’s an easy worry-free crowd-pleaser for the holidays.

Unsure there is anything more basic and wonderfully fall than grabbing a classic apple cider donut from a farmer’s market stand or if you’re lucky enough to have ventured out to an apple orchard, fresh from the farm itself. Ironically, I am allergic to apples, unless they are pasteurized and processed in some form— so while apple cider makes my mouth itchy on it’s own, my potato self seems to have no issues imbibing apple cider in the form of donuts…

This non-recipe recipe came from a particularly lazy night at home, when I didn’t feel cooking a whole shishkebab of a meal from scratch. Ironically, this meal is entirely from scratch but it doesn’t feel like it and is the easiest plant-based weeknight dinner that is definitely a crowd-pleaser. Takes 5 ingredients, 15 min to throw together, 20 min if you have my crappy knife skills! Gluten-free, vegan, and nut-free, yet high in protein for a simple pasta dish, thanks to the chickpea pasta!

Whether you are an entrepreneur like me with an unpredictable schedule, a freelancer hustling at home, or someone at an office job, eating healthy meals during the weekday can be challenging. Nothing is worse than also buying a ton of fresh produce in good faith, not use them because of a particularly busy week, and then feel like you’re repeating the same cycle over and over again, right?

I threw this risotto together the other night, freehand-style, because I just happened to have some arborio rice leftover from making my seafood paella, and canned pumpkin in the pantry— but a bunch of you guys asked for the recipe, so I went to work at refining it to nail down a super easy recipe! This pumpkin sage risotto is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and vegan, so it’s a pretty easy crowdpleaser amongst finicky stomachs.

I’ve been craving all the fall harvest-y flavors and scents, so I knew I wanted to make something with the warming spice of cinnamon and sweet apples (I can only have pasteurized applesauce, as I’m allergic to fresh apples!). I had thrown some tahini in my pancakes before, and it helped add not only a deliciously nutty flavor, it helped the texture of the pancakes become even crisper at the edges yet pillowy soft on the inside— just the way I like them! These are naturally gluten-free (based in oat flour), dairy-free, vegan optional, and nut-free….

When I found out that I’d be going to the Pacific Northwest to go to see Cascadian Farm for myself in person with The Feedfeed + Cascadian Farm, I knew that it would be beautiful out there— I just wasn’t prepared for how incredibly scenic it all is and also how much I’d learn about farming practices. It’s so important to know how big of a difference companies can make if they make a commitment to it, and what we as informed consumers can also do to support our food and Earth.

It was also personally just fun to see where the berries for my Blueberry Lavender Tonic came from, as well at the mixed berries for this droolworthy, gluten-free + vegan Mixed Berry Oat Crisp recipe…

I have always loved flavored drinks ever since I was a kid-- there wasn't a strawberry lemonade or a fruity soda I didn't like. But as I grew up and began to love cooking and baking, I came to understand the incredible fresh flavors of REAL foods. The amazing flavor combinations you can create when playing with fresh produce and herbs really blows my mind-- and this is exactly why I am obsessed with the farmer's market, as you guys know through my farmer's market photos of cherishing all that gorgeous produce! I am so excited to share this delicious and healthy Blueberry Lavender tonic recipe that is perfect for a summery gathering.

Fun fact: I was Banza's OG blogger + recipe developer a few years back when they were still a small, new company (my butternut carbonara is the first recipe on their site and a ton more are on their blog!). It's been really exciting to watch them expand to be a household name now, and I love their fun social media initiatives they do to get people cooking creatively with their chickpea pasta. This month, they're all about #BanzaPlusPlants, and running a fun month-long challenge to cook plant-based dishes. I had been craving a vegan Thai curry dish, so this was the perfect opportunity to try combining some new flavors!

I haven't baked spontaneously in what essentially feels like eons, but all I wanted the other night was something chewy and chocolatey without being overly sweet. I was just rummaging for whatever I had offhand and these just came together so quickly.

Knocked these Choco Chaga Tahini Cookies right outta the park the first go around: filled with raw cacao, chaga mushroom powder, tahini, collagen, oat flour, and date syrup, this cookie is actually kind of packed with good for you, immunity boosting nutrients! And it is SO GOOD warm with a glass of oat milk. Now, let's talk about CHAGA for a hot sec.

You guys know coffee is a lifeline of mine. My mom used to say every morning that she wanted to thank the person who discovered that you could brew this magical drink out of beans, and I wholeheartedly agree— it is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and the smell alone is dizzyingly alluring to me. I may be a coffee nerd, but I’m also non-discriminatory-- I appreciate a classic drip, french press, espresso, cappuccinos, and pourovers. I’m also not an uptight prick about coffee, because everyone appreciates it for different reasons and has their own preferences! I show my daily pourover every morning on my Instagram Stories, and I still get questions about technique, beans, equipment, etc. all the time, so I put together this guide with everything you need to know!

So fat balls are all the rage lately. They are definitely an awesome way to pack in the nutrients with multiple sources of superfoods in a delicious bite-sized snack. So, I made these for my mom for that exact reason!

I wasn't sure which flavors she would like, so I came up with two varieties. Thankfully, she loved both! The Cinnamon Pecan Chia with Maca smelled like a cinnamon bun and tasted like snickerdoodle cookie dough, then the Sesame Tahini Walnut tasted like halva + cookie dough simultaneously! The method to make them is the same, but I've included both variations below.

I connected with Rezel because she had ordered some Golden Fuel, but little did I know at the time how talented of a recipe developer and food photographer she is! Her blog is full of innovative recipes that are not actually hard to make for how beautiful and "fancy" they may seem from the beautiful photos.

Then she made these stunning Golden Fuel Tarts that just floored us. Not only are they just beautiful to begin with, but these tarts use coconut cream and healthy nuts to make them gluten-free, dairy-free, and NO BAKE...