Is it possible for a vegan, grain-free and refined sugar-free snickerdoodle cookie to be better than a traditional snickerdoodle cookie? Yes! And the folks at Sweet Laurel Bakery in the Pacific Palisades here in Los Angeles would make you a believer. They made me one. It is my favorite thing to get at the bakery,…
Mixed Berry Smoothie with Bee Pollen
I know, a smoothie recipe isn’t really a recipe. As long as you have some fruit, a thickener, and a liquid, you can pretty much create any kind of smoothie you like. But this mixed berry smoothie is my go-to breakfast and too good not to include on the blog. It is high in protein…
Crispy Rice (“Tahdig”) with Barberries, Tumeric, and Shallots
“Tahdig,” a Persian specialty, is the crispy bottom layer of a pot of rice. It seems as if every chef these days is getting on the Tahdig train and I couldn’t be happier about it. In my version, I am highlighting this dish with barberries, one of my favorite ingredients of Persian cooking. Barberries are…
Rhubarb Compote
It’s rhubarb season for a hot minute. But what is rhubarb? Rhubarb is a vegetable that looks like celery, except the stalks are reddish. It is quite tart and not so pleasant eaten raw, but when cooked down with sugar, rhubarb shines and reveals its amazing taste and beautiful color in a jam-like consistency. And…
Spinach Gruyere Galette
Today’s recipe is a flaky and buttery galette made with spinach, caramelized onions, and Gruyere cheese using an important shortcut: store-bought frozen puff pastry. Instead of making a dough to use for the galette, I’m using thawed puff pastry, which works perfectly to make any type of sweet or savory galette. I’m also using frozen…
Banana Oat Pancakes
If you’re going to post a recipe for pancakes, it better be damn good. So I’ll take the position that these banana oat pancakes taste even better than traditional pancakes. To make the flour for these pancakes, rolled oats are blended to form an oat flour. This gets mixed with the sweet flavors of oat…
Slow Roasted Chicken with Fennel, Thyme, Sumac, Cipollini Onions, Lemon, and Garlic
Let’s talk about sumac. Most people have never heard of the Middle Eastern spice, or if so, have rarely heard of it being used on anything other than kebab. It’s a shame too, because the flavor compliments so many other ingredients. Sumac has a tangy lemony flavor, but with a fruity, floral note as well….
Roasted Carrots with Medjool Dates, Lemons, and Tahini Sauce
There are a few ingredients I believe the Western world should be cooking with more. One of those ingredients is tahini, a creamy paste made from sesame seeds used widely in the Middle East. It provides a wonderfully creamy, nutty taste, not to mention is an excellent source of protein. Here it shines drizzled onto…
Parmesan Polenta with Marinara, Mozzarella, and Crispy Shallots
On our third date, my future husband took me to a trendy Los Angeles restaurant where I had the best polenta of my life. It was cheesy, creamy, and smothered in marina sauce. It was kind of like lasagna, except better. So I set out to recreate it. My version uses corn grits, chicken stock,…
Mini Chocolate Cake
Do I ever want to bake a whole chocolate cake? Not really. Do I ever crave an individual slice of chocolate oozy goodness? You bet. With this recipe, you can satisfy that craving without going through the fuss of baking a whole cake. Chocolate cake for breakfast? Yup. I won’t judge. I may have done…
Sunday Kitchen Table 