Banana bread. The ultimate in classic cozy baked goods.

Warm, cozy, and perfect with a cup of tea.

I made this for my flatmates my first year in London, and I think I may have won their love through it. We would often demolish an entire loaf in an afternoon. That's how good it is.

It's fluffy, moist, and not too sweet. Plus it's made with oats and there's big pieces of banana in there so it's healthy, right?

Recipea:
Prep time: 15 minutes / Bake time: 40 minutes
Makes one 9×5-inch loaf

3 medium or 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar (can also sub coconut sugar)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 cup ground oats (grind your own in your blender - or you can just use another cup of flour instead)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 heaping tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 additional banana, sliced into chunks
Granulated sugar and a teaspoon of whole oats for topping

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.
Lightly grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas well with a fork.
Then add the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract, and mix well.
Sift in the flour, ground oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined.
Fold in banana chunks.
Pour into to the baking pan and sprinkle with extra sugar and a few oats if you’d like.
Bake for 40 minutes. The top should be lightly browned and a knife inserted through the center should come out clean.

So I made this beautiful, swirly zucchini tart with homemade vegan ricotta this week.

I didn't have company coming over or anything. I just had a magnificent home grown yellow zucchini and it deserved excellence. It's the little things.

If you can believe it, this tart tastes even better than it looks.

It's light, flavourful, and comforting. All the best things.

Yes, assembly will take a bit longer for this one, but it's so worth it. I mean just look at it! It's food art!

And while you will need to afford some time to slice the zucchini pieces and arrange them, it isn't hard work. So just put on a podcast like I did, and see it as therapy. :]

Plus, you can use some pre-made ingredients - like pre-made pesto and shortcrust - so it really isn't difficult at all.

And seriously, I think this is one of the best recipes I've ever made. Not only does it look impressive, but it tastes heavenly. The ricotta and pesto brings in such an incredible flavour. The flaky crust, delicate squash, and creamy base will have you going back for more.

I know you're going to love this one. Give it a try the next time you have a special brunch, Easter, Mother's Day, or just the next time you find yourself with a beautiful home grown zucchini destined for greatness.

YUM.

Recipea:
Serves 4-6
Prep time: 40 minutes / Cook time: 45 mins

Cashew Ricotta Ingredients
100g raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground pepper
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning (oregano, parsley, basil)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 tablespoons non-dairy basil pesto

2 medium zucchini (yellow and green)

1 premade frozen shortcrust, thawed (you are more than welcome to make it from scratch, but ain't nobody got time for that)

Method:
Soak cashews for at least 2 hours or overnight and then drain.
Add cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, almond milk, and spices into a food processor or blender. Blend until combined. The mixture will be thick and creamy and will have a similar grainy texture as ricotta cheese.
Set aside.

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and then half again lengthwise, so you have four long quarters. Thinly slice with a vegetable peeler or mandolin, trying to make the pieces uniform in thickness.

Lay the pieces out on a towel and sprinkle with a bit of salt to draw out the moisture. Place another towel on top of the pieces and press lightly to absorb the moisture so they don't make the tart soggy.

Roll out the shortcrust into a thin circular shape and place onto a circular greased baking pan or pie sheet.

Spread the pesto on the bottom of the shortcrust, coating the entire base.
Add the cashew ricotta mixture on top of the pesto.

Layer the zucchini standing up on their edges with the coloured peel facing up in a circular pattern, starting from the outside in, layering the zucchini around the edge until you reach the center.

Cut the excess pastry 1/2 inch above the top of the zucchini and fold down over the edges, smooshing (yes, it's a technical term) the pastry over the zucchini on the outer edge so the pastry won't shrink down below, but will instead bake to fuse over the squash (if that's confusing just use the photos below as your guide).

Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper and bake for 45 minutes or until the shortcrust is lightly browned and the zucchini is tender.

Let cool and enjoy!

SO. ADDICTIVE.

Try to eat just a few of these, I dare you.

These crispy flavourful little dudes are so delicious and are a perfect on-the-go snack, party appetizer, or salad topper.

No more than 5 mins to prep and you're on your way to crunchytown.

My top tip? Make 2 cans. You'll eat a whole can's worth before they even cool completely. You'll want to have some on hand for later, believe me.

Recipea:
Makes 2 cans of chickpeas
Prep Time: 5 mins / Cooking Time: 40 mins

2 cans of chickpeas
3 tablespoons of BBQ seasoning (you could also use cumin & smoked paprika, taco seasoning, jerk seasoning, curry powder, etc - whatever flavour you like)
2 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
Strain chickpeas and run them under water.
Place on towel, cover with another towel, and pat dry to remove moisture.
Place on large baking sheet (make sure to give them lots of room - if you only have medium/small baking sheets, spread out over 2 sheets).
Add olive oil and spices and shake to ensure that all chickpeas are well coated.
Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. The chickpeas should be hard and crunchy and all the moisture should be out. Test taste one or two of the bigger ones. If they are chewy at all, throw them all back in the oven for another 10 mins.
Remove and let cool on the baking sheet.
Store in an air tight container... if there are even any left.

You guys.

Yum.

These have a little kick and are so hearty and satisfying. They aren't too complicated and they reheat great for lunch the next day.

Plus, chorizo. Do I really need to say anything else?

And also just please promise me you'll pair with some chips and guac. It's important, ok? Just do it.

Enjoy!

Recipea:
Makes 5-6 stuffed peppers

1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of white onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 vegan chorizo sausages, crumbled
1 cup fresh corn kernels
2 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 1/2 cups black beans
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
5-6 bell peppers

Preaheat oven to 160 degrees celsius.

Saute garlic, onion, and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium pan over medium heat until tender.

Add ground chorizo until crispy and browned.

Then add corn, rice, taco seasoning, salsa, and beans until warmed through. Then add 1/4 cup of the coriander and combine.

Cut the stem top off of the pepper and scoop out the inside and seeds. Rub the outsides of each pepper with a small amount of oil. Spoon in the rice and bean mixture into each pepper (try to pack in as much as possible), and place in a greased baking dish.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until outside begins to blister and peppers are soft.

Sprinkle with the remainder of the coriander and serve with guac, lime, and tortilla chips.

These cookies are my whole heart and soul.

Without getting too mushy, my grandma was perfect. She was positive, kind, faithful, brave, creative, fun, smart, and made the best cookies in the whole world. 

She was magic. When we'd go over to her house when we were little - even when it was unannounced! - somehow she always managed to be pulling a dozen of these warm oatmeal chocolate chip cookies out of the oven right as we walked in the door. 

Marjorie Mae was one of my best friends. I'm forever changed from knowing her. My bond with her means that I will never forget the power of positive thinking, the importance of family and kindness, or the rule that wherever two or more are gathered, there must always be fresh homemade cookies. 

She'd be so proud that I'm sharing this recipe with you all because she loved sharing cookies with people. If she heard there was a youth group gathering, a church rummage sale happening, a holiday celebration, someone recovering from a surgery, or the gardeners were coming to mow the lawn, she would bake at least a dozen for each person. 

And people flocked to these bad boys. You know why? Because they are kindness and warmth and comfort and all the goodness of a perfect grandma wrapped up in a cookie. 

Trust me on this one. You will love them. They are a hug in a cookie.

As Marjorie always said - "I hope you have a great day, and I plan to do the same!"

Spread the grandma cookie love people :) The world needs more of it!

Recipea:
Makes 3 dozen


1 cup raisins

So. I live in the UK. That means that if I happen to be blessed with a "summer" day, there is about a 50% chance that it will turn gray and rainy. Being from California, I can think of very few things that would help me recover from such a horrific turn of events.

Enter my summer rain risotto.

It has all the goodness of summer... fresh peas and asparagus, mint, and lemon... with all the creamy, warm, cozy comforts that you need on a rainy day.

It's perfection.

I can't tell you how happy this recipea made me when I created it.

Not only did my flat smell like heaven, but it was so FRESH and COMFORTING at the same time. No idea how I did that, but I'm now on a mission to find all the fresh comforting foods.

I've really outdone myself on this one, you guys.

I love it. And so will you. Pinky promise.





Recipea:

Makes 4 main meal servings or 6 side servings

4 tablespoons vegan butter
1/2 cup of shallots
1 clove of garlic
2 teaspoons of ground salt and pepper (use lemon pepper if you can!)
2 cups of risotto rice
1/2 cup Pinot Grigio
5 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup chopped asparagus
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat parsley
2 tablespoons of lemon zest
1/2 cup vegan cheese

Saute the shallots, garlic, salt and pepper in 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pan or pot over medium heat for 5 minutes until tender.

Stir in the rice for 2-3 minutes until the edges becomes translucent on the outside. Then add in the wine and another tablespoon of the butter. Stir until it is absorbed.

Then stir in 1 cup of vegetable broth to just cover the risotto, stirring consistently until the liquid is absorbed. Then continue adding the broth, adding 1 cup at a time until absorbed (2 mins each).

After about 16-18 minutes, the rice should be creamy, but firm (you may need a little more or less broth, depending on the rice, heat, etc).

On the last addition of liquid, add in the asparagus and peas, and the last tablespoon of butter.

Continue to simmer and stir until the peas and asparagus until they are just cooked and the rice is tender.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vegan cheese until well combined.

Stir in the mint, parsley, and lemon zest (and some more salt and pepper if needed) until combined.

Dish up and sprinkle with some extra mint, parsley, and lemon zest. Cuz you fancy.

Now it's time to turn that frown upside down. You've just made something that ALMOST makes rain on a sunny day ok.... almost. :)

Spaghetti squash is one of my all time favourite veggies. It's so crunchy and unusual and just makes everything better. It's perfect as a substitute for pasta... the OG  pasta substitute actually, long before zoodles/courgetti was a thing.

Anyway. You can't really find it here in the UK for some ridiculous reason, so you can imagine how excited I was when, after nearly 4 long years of searching, I stumbled across one in Waitrose! I may have been accidentally unnecessarily loud... #american

This called for my homemade pesto.

Add some crumbled vegan sausage on top and you've found yourself smack dab in the middle of happytown.

Get to it, people! RUN TO WAITROSE! DEMAND SPAGHETTI SQUASH! And if you live in the States, well then... just run to the regular grocery store... and appreciate your privilege.






Recipea:
Serves 2-3

1 medium spaghetti squash
1-2ish cups of water

1/4 medium avocado
1/3 cup pine nuts + 1/4 cup pine nuts for garnish
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh basil
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Ground salt and pepper
1/2 clove of garlic

Veggie sausage & 1 tablespoon olive oil


Cut the squash in half long ways (be careful ok? I didn't list your fingers in the ingredients for a reason) and scoop out the inside.

Stick them on a shallow baking dish cut side down and add about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom. Cover with either foil (if going in the oven) or paper towel (if going in the microwave).

Either cook in the oven at 210 degrees celsius for 40 minutes or until fork tender (give it a check at the 30 min mark, and then every 10 mins thereafter), OR stick it in the microwave on high for 10-15 mins or until fork tender (chuck it in for 8 mins, then check it every 3 mins or so thereafter).

In a food processor or blender, blend together the avo, 1/3 cup of pine nuts, basil, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil.

Saute your favourite ground or chopped vegan sausage with olive oil until crispy and set aside.

Toast pine nuts on medium low heat, stirring constantly until lightly toasted.

ASSEMBLE.

Either toss the squash in the pesto to coat, or give a good hearty dollop onto a big helping of the squash noodles. Top with the sausage and pine nuts and loads more fresh basil leaves and enjoy!

Olive bread. Manna from heaven.

If I had a nickel for every time I've accidentally polished off an entire olive loaf in one sitting, I'd be a rich woman.

What's not to like?! Olives? Good. Carbs? Good.

I thought bread was going to be super hard to make and/or it would be an all day affair, waiting for it to rise and whatnot.

But this bread is suuuuper easy, and you can be stuffing your face with warm fresh bread in less than an hour and a half. Just enough time for you to stage some sort of fake emergency that gets everyone out of your house so you can be alone to eat the entire loaf in peace.

Plus you get the added bonus of your house smelling like a bakery for the rest of the evening. Yes, please.
Recipea:

2 cups (250g) of bread flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of dry yeast
2/3 cups (150 ml) of warm water
1 tablespoon of olive oil (plus a bit more for greasing)
Olives (I used plain black and green and I also threw in some kalamata which had been packaged in oil and italian herbs. I used 6 whole of each, and then chopped up 4 of each to have some smaller pieces in the bread as well. I like a high olive to bread ratio, so use less if you'd rather!)

Mix flour, salt, sugar, and yeast together in a medium bowl.

Chop and/or add whole olives (whichever you prefer) to the dry mixture and mix well.

Make a well and pour in the water and oil.

Mix with a fork until it is sticky, then knead the dough for 5 mins on a floured surface. If you added barrels of olives like I did, it will be weird at first when you're trying to knead because the olives will sneak out. Stick with it, soldier. They will stick into the bread more as you knead.

When the dough is elastic and smooth, place into a lightly greased bowl and cover with a tea towel.

Let sit for 45 mins - 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 210 degrees celsius.

Once it's risen, form onto a greased, floured baking sheet and lightly grease the top of the loaf.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bread is evenly golden brown all around, and is hardened on the top. Better to overbake a bit than underbake on this one.

Let cool, slice, and eat entire loaf in one sitting without shame.