Chili Miso Red Cabbage Steaks (Vegan)

Food, Gluten-Free, Healthy, Hot, Meal Ideas, Recipe, Savory, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggie Based

One pan meal of roasted red cabbage steaks drizzled with chili miso sauce from side

Vegan steaks! How does that work?

Just cut some thick slices of red cabbage, roast and season them, and you have yourself a delicious vegetable main dish.

Appetizing photos of cauliflower steaks have been popping up all over my Pinterest feed lately. So, why not try out the same method on another favorite vegetable like red cabbage?

For these red cabbage “steaks”, I topped them off with an Asian-inspired chili miso sauce that is a balanced mix between spicy, sour, sweet, salty, and umami. I’ll definitely be making this combination again for dressings and more.

As usual, the best part about this meal was that it took less than 20 minutes from inception to consumption.

6/16

Caprese Bruschetta with Balsamic Reduction

Appetizers, Food, Party Trays, Recipe, Savory, Small Bites, Vegetarian, Weekday Approved

Finished caprese bruschetta with heirloom tomato, fresh basil, homemade mozzerella, and balsamic reduction up close

I distinctly remember the first time I heard of a balsamic reduction. It was years ago while watching Giada on the Food Network. It sounded so fancy and complicated, but I quickly learned that it was just fancy, not complicated.

Reduced balsamic vinegar or a balsamic glaze is one of my favorite sauces. It is the perfect versatile, tart and sweet topping. From adding a bit of sweetness to flatbreads to adding a hint of tart depth to strawberry ice cream, the possibilities are endless. On the savory side, balsamic reductions are great for topping off salads, tossing vegetables for roasting, glazing grilled tofu, or garnishing soups. On the sweet side, it works great with fruit, yogurt, and even ice cream.

The best part is how easy it is to reduce balsamic vinegar. It only requires only one ingredient and no special equipment, and the entire process takes less than 20 minutes!

Here I used my freshly reduced balsamic vinegar as a finishing touch to Caprese bruschetta made with homemade mozzarella cheese.

5/23

Two-Ingredient Candied Blood Orange Rounds

Desserts, Food, Gluten-Free, Recipe, Sweet, Vegan, Vegetarian

Candied blood orange rounds drying and hardening after candying

A few months ago, I saw these adorable Two-Ingredient Candied Citrus Pops and mentally filed them away as something I wanted to try. Fast forward a few months to when I saw a pack of blood oranges at the grocery store and I knew now was the time to try candying some blood oranges.

In a funny twist, I completely forgot the details of my original inspiration and proceeded to create candied blood oranges as sliced rounds! Woops. I still loved the result and I hope you do too.

5/02

Roasted Purple Cauliflower Florets

Appetizers, Food, Gluten-Free, Healthy, Recipe, Savory, Small Bites, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggie Based, Weekday Approved

Finished roasted purple cauliflower florets from side angle with fork in background

I roast vegetables all the time: cauliflower, broccoli, kale, and so on. With how often I roast vegetables, the oven may very well be my favorite kitchen appliance.

When I’m cooking, I’m all about efficiency. Roasting vegetables takes surprisingly little effort. I preheat the oven and prepare whatever vegetables I have on hand. After tossing them into the oven, I set a timer, wait 25 minutes, and viola! Dinner is served. Tasty, healthy, crispy roasted vegetables.

Lately, I’ve been really enjoying cauliflower (cauliflower rice and cauliflower crust cheese pizza). This week, when I was grocery shopping, I saw purple cauliflower and got excited. Purple was my favorite color as a child. I can only imagine if I had known about purple cauliflower back then!