Spaghetti Squash Pasta with Tahini Sauce | Oil Free, Plant Based, Instant Pot

Spaghetti squash is one of the best ingredients to use for a guilt free pasta dish. Substitute spaghetti squash in any noodle dish for a lighter, healthier and tastier version. Toss it in a simple tomato sauce or make this spaghetti squash pasta with tahini sauce.

Nopales Cactus Salad with Tomato, Avocado and Onion | Plant Based, Oil Free

The local market had cleaned cactus paddles and I thought it would be fun to give it a try. I've had grilled cactus paddles once, but I've never cooked with it before. After a quick internet search, I a few plant based nopales cactus recipes. The best one I found was by La Cocina de Leslie. This is my take on her Ensalada de Nopales recipe.

Green Lentil Curry with Collard Greens | Plant Based, Oil Free, Instant Pot

I was at the market last week and decided to pick up a bag of green lentils. Unlike red lentils, the green lentils retain their shape after cooking and have a slightly nutty taste. My favorite way to prepare them is this green lentil curry with collard green. It's easy to make and delicious to eat.

Buddha Bowl with Leek and Carrots | Plant Based, Oil Free

There is nothing quite as satisfying as a buddha bowl loaded with healthy ingredients. The recipe for a buddha bowl is so versatile, you can use anything you have on hand. Don't have any carrots? Use beets instead. Don't have any leek? Use a bunch of green onions or a large sweet opinion in its place. If you love mushrooms, throw some of those in! It's basically a do-it-yourself plant based bowl filled with food that's good for you.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Asparagus | Plant Based, Oil Free, Instant Pot

Living a whole plant based lifestyle has translated to a lot of fun in the kitchen. Going to the market is an entirely new experience now. The tender stalks of fresh asparagus caught my eyes and I decided to make something different. Pasta is a special treat for me, so I took the time to make a creamy white bean sauce to take this dish up a notch. There's no oil in this dish making it lighter than other pasta dishes I've put together. This is what I would call a guilt free bowl of creamy pasta with asparagus.

Chayote Curry | Plant Based, Oil Free, Cast Iron Skillet

Chayote is in season! This pear shaped squash is a wonderful ingredient to have in the kitchen. After it's peeled, chayote can be eaten raw or cooked. Make sure to wear gloves when peeling chayote or you'll end up with some undesired residue on your hands. Raw chayote can be tossed into a salad and cooked chayote can be added to stews and soups. This week I decided to make a chayote curry with a new curry powder I picked up from Trader Joe's. The dish turned out really well and great on its own. Next time I might serve it over some rice or lentils.

Savory Oats with Beets and Kale | Plant Based, Oil Free, Instant Pot

Savory steel cut oats have become a go to breakfast meal recently. I love the crunchy texture of the oats and it works well with just about any ingredient. When I can find organic steel cut oats, that's what I buy. At $.17 per serving, it's a great item to have in stock packed with nutrients. My latest experiment with savory oats was slightly sweet with the addition of beets. If you're looking for a savory oats recipe that's slightly sweet, give this version a try.

Vegetables with Tahini Sauce | Plant Based, Oil Free, Cast Iron Skillet

When I feel like steamed or lightly cooked vegetables, this is my go to meal. The tahini sauce can be served with steamed, roasted or boiled vegetables. One way I enjoy vegetables is by lightly cooking them in the cast iron with a little bit of water. If you're short on time or looking for an easy meal, vegetables with tahini sauce is the way to go.

Tofu Scramble with Roasted Sweet Potatoes | Plant Based, Oil Free, Cast Iron Skillet

This weekend was the first time I discovered the wonders of tofu scramble. There are so many directions to go with the seasoning, it's almost too much fun. The dish is also quite hearty and makes for a great power brunch dish. It's such an easy dish to make that I had it two days in a row. The roasted sweet potatoes add a sweetness that compliments the tofu scramble. Thank you to Minimalist Baker for the inspiration.

White Bean Stew with Kale and Mushrooms | Plant Based, Oil Free, Instant Pot

One of my favorite ingredients to use are Great Northern beans. They have a wonderful creamy texture that works very well in stews and sauces. I always start with dry beans which takes additional planning to allow time for the overnight soak. It seems like lately, there is always a type of bean soaking in my kitchen. If you don't have the time to soak beans overnight, there are salt free beans in BPA free cans available in select markets. I found this to be a hearty stew that is also light and flavorful.

Barley Stew with Edamame and Carrots | Plant Based, Oil Free, Instant Pot

I can't believe it has been close to two years since my last blog post. The reason I started this blog was to chronicle my food adventures, mostly outside of the kitchen. Going forward, I will be sharing more recipes from my kitchen as a way to help me member the hits. Hope you enjoy the new direction of the blog!

Right now, I am eating whole plant based with limited salt and no oils (processed cooking oils). This oil free vegan barley stew turned out really well and I can't wait to make it again.

Quick and Easy Steak Salad

This steak salad is super easy and quick to assemble. I love making this salad when we have left over steak from the night before. The salad has four main ingredients and most of it can be substituted. Baby kale or arugula work really well in this salad, but any salad greens can be used. 

Homegrown Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce | Plant Based

Cayenne pepper is one of the easiest peppers to grow and cayenne pepper hot sauce is even easier to make. We planted two seedlings in our garden last spring and these plants produced beautiful fire engine red peppers for nearly seven months. It probably would have kept going had I not cut it back before the first frost (32° F overnight temperature). With more peppers than I could rotate through the dehydrator and with no more room in the kitchen for hang dry, I had to find an alternative use for these peppers.

Marinated Mushrooms | Plant Based

Marinated mushrooms is one of my favorite sides to prepare and can be served cold or at room temperature. It is simple, quick and delicious.

Zha Jiang Mian (Noodles with Soy Bean Sauce)

Zha Jian Mian is one of my favorite Chinese noodle dishes to eat and cook because of its simplicity and its versatility. This version is made with a fermented soy bean sauce topped with carrots, cucumbers and scrambled eggs. There are so many ways to prepare this dish, once you've tried it, you'll taste the possibilities.

Ragu Enriched with Chicken Liver

While browsing Saveur.com, I came across a ragu recipe with chicken livers and knew I had to try it. Since the original recipe only makes 4 servings, I decided to double the recipe except the amount of olive oil and butter and quadrupled the amount of ground pork. The ragu came out wonderful and everyone loved the depth of flavor the chicken livers gave to the sauce. Below is a copy of the recipe from Saveur.com with my modifications and comments on the instructions.

Ham and Potato Soup

This is an easy and simple ham and potato soup I came up with to use up left over ham. If you prefer a thicker soup, use less water and bullion.

Creamy Tomato and Sausage Pasta

I came up with this recipe for dinner last week and it came out so well I had to share it. It is quick and simple.

Shrimp and Chicken Tacos

It's taco Tuesday! I decided to make shrimp and chicken tacos for taco night night at home. This recipe also includes an easy homemade salsa that you have to try. Enjoy.

Bok Choy in Garlic Sauce | Plant Based

Bok choy, also known as Chinese cabbage, is a very versatile vegetable and can be found year round in Asian markets throughout Los Angeles. A quick and easy way to prepare bok choy is by cooking it in a fragrant garlic sauce and serving it as a side dish. My preferred way to make this dish is by cooking it in a wok. You can also make it any non-stick sauté pan.