Elegantly Simple Cacio e Pepe Pasta

Put true love to the test with a simple, mouth-watering pasta dish. Judging from our taste test its sophisticated simplicity is almost too good to share. Avoid the Valentine’s Day restaurant crowds and learn how to make this trendy pasta dish for two instead. We like to think of it as a grown-up mac and … Continued

Plant Butchery!

Photo Credit: Mette Nielsen Plant butchery. It sounds like an oxymoron as in “jumbo shrimp” or “awfully good”, but the term refers to the different culinary uses for proteins crafted from plants. Now, this could be a grilled cauliflower steak or the pumpkin chili as well as as tofu, tempeh, and seitan products and others … Continued

Naan Pizza: One Pizza, Three Ways!

Photo Credit: Mette Nielsen You want a pizza with bold, interesting flavors, a surprise. Your friend has a yen for Mexican, when it comes to pizza, she’s tired of the same old same old. And then, there are those guys who insist pizza isn’t pizza without salami, tomatoes, and, of course, cheese. Here’s how to … Continued

Souping (the New Juicing)

Photo Credit: Mette Nielsen Thankfully, juicing is yesterday’s news. Faced with sub-zero temps I’m in no mood to guzzle green juice. Desperate to shake off layers of Holiday Happy Hours, I’m embracing the hottest trend –“Souping.” Simply put, souping, or replacing meals with vegetable soups, is a great way to up your intake of vegetables, … Continued

Exceptionally Delicious Soba Noodles with Dipping Sauce

Once upon a time, if you wanted to make a recipe that called for soba, udon, or any other kind of Asian noodle, you had to find your nearest Asian grocery store. And locally made? Don’t even think about it. But all that has changed now that “Exceptionally Curious Noodles” from Dumpling & Strand Noodlers at Large have … Continued

Mix it Up

Don’t settle for a handful of capsules: make our healthy supplements part of your smoothies, snacks and meals. Here are two places to start. Fire Cider Honey Mustard (from saltfatwhiskey.com) Ingredients: 5 tbsp organic yellow mustard seeds 3 tbsp organic brown mustard seeds 3 tbsp whiskey 2/3 cup Shire City Herbals Fire Cider . 2 tbsp local … Continued

Smoky Shrimp & Cauliflower Skewers

Deep down, Minnesotans have a special bond with snacks on sticks. Our summer love for the convenience of utensil-less eating doesn’t have to end when the snow falls. There exists a secret weapon for the host/ess with the most/ess; skewers. The skewer is the cousin to the stick we know and love, but skewers can be served … Continued

Holiday Dishes From A Winter’s Kitchen

Photo Credit: Mette Neilsen Every year, I’m surprised by the bounty and the vibrancy of our local food. Even in a place with such a short growing season, I’m finding the most amazing assortment of sweet potatoes, chestnuts, cranberries, and micro-greens; we can feast on the array of gorgeous cheeses and artisan crackers breads. So … Continued

Bold Holiday Flavors in a Vegetable Driven Dish!

Vegan, vegetarian, omnivore (and anywhere in between), we are all looking for memorable, flavorful dishes especially at holiday time. Plant-based dishes can be especially welcome, their fresh ingredients, vibrant flavors, and interesting textures are a welcome break from dinners laden with butter, meat and cream. This sunny combo of golden polenta with toasty-roasty cauliflower, snappy … Continued