Strawberry and Jicama Salad (Vegan, Oil-Free)

 

Nothing says summer's just around the corner like strawberries at the market, displayed in their tidy containers like so many jewels.

Strawberries at the Beverly Hills Farmers' Market, from a recent trip to LA

Personally, I've always been crazy about these juicy little gems, and could happily eat them by the quart, awash in fond childhood memories. Because for me, their sweet-tart taste inevitably calls to mind lazy summer picnics on the National Mall with my family, where I'd eat strawberries one after another after another, my bare feet nestled in cool green grass while the sweet strains of music played by the National Symphony Orchestra drifted overhead on the breeze.

Ah, the perks of growing up in DC.

Herbed Lentil Salad with Seared Radicchio and Glazed Walnuts

I was smitten with this recipe from the moment I laid eyes on it, and I think you'll be, too.

The results are so tasty, in fact, that I hope you'll forgive a myriad of little cheats—some agave nectar, a couple of pinches of salt, a little cooking spray—in the service of the greater good: a sweet-savory warm lentil salad bursting with fresh herbs and topped with crispy candied walnuts.

The brainchild of Chef Yotam Ottolenghi, the original "Lentils and Radicchio with Honey-Glazed Walnuts" recipe was featured in the April 2013 issue of In Style magazine. It looked fantastic, with the exception of one dirty little secret: as written in In Style, this otherwise healthy-looking salad features a full one-half cup of oil in four servings. Doing the math, that means that the oil alone in a single serving of salad is the calorie equivalent of two ¼-cup scoops of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Therapy ice cream.

How to Peel a Jicama

If you haven't tried jicama yet, you're missing out.

Sweet and crisp and versatile, jicama is one heck of a go-to vegetable. It tastes great with almost any dip, adds a sassy crunch to otherwise ho-hum fruit salads, and can even be shredded into slaw or chopped into chutney for a cool accompaniment to spicy tacos or saucy curries.

Click here for 3 fast and healthy ways to enjoy jicama sticks.

But peeling a jicama can be intimidating, to say the least. For starters, jicama has fibers running just under the skin that snag and snarl even the sharpest vegetable peeler. Worse, this veggie's orb-like shape and large size make it awkward to handle and challenging to peel with a paring knife. (You should have seen the first time I tried it—I'm lucky I still have all my fingers!)

Luckily, there's an easier way. Just follow the simple steps below, and your jicama will be peeled and ready for showtime in no time.

Joy, Sorrow, and Gobi Bhurji with Peas

It's been a wonderful, horrible week.

The weekend before last, in celebration of Jeff's birthday, we went to visit his parents in Los Angeles. We had the most amazing time, visiting not one but two farmers' markets, touring, dining at all sorts of fabulous restaurants (including Chef Tal Ronnen's Crossroads, which offers up delicious plant-based small plates), and generally enjoying each others' company. We spent time with my in-laws' friends, who were incredibly kind and gracious, and we even had a nice cross-country flight home.

Squeezy Peas—Not Just for Babies!

Fruits and veggies on the go!

Stay with me on this one.

Hubby and I wanted to take an evening walk a few weeks ago, but the wind was howling and the weather was chilly—notwithstanding the fact that it was nearly April. Since neither one of us felt like freezing our keisters or plugging away on a treadmill, I suggested walking the aisles at Target. Amazingly, Jeff thought that sounded like a great idea.

So we strolled the aisles—all the aisles, even the ones we never visited, like the shower curtain doodad aisle and the fancy duct tape aisle. (Did you know they even made fancy duct tape? Me neither!) And—regardless of the fact that we have no kids—the baby food aisle.

Got Weird Stuff in Your Pantry? Get Answers with NPR's "Cook Your Cupboard" Project

This is for all you adventurous food shoppers out there—you ambitious connoisseurs of the obscure with big ideas and perhaps less-than-stellar follow-through. (You know who you are.)

I, for one, fall squarely into this category. Not only because I'm a food blogger, but because I'm more of an "ideas" gal. I find inspiration far simpler than implementation.

So frequently I find myself with strange foods on hand—giant white corn, tamarind paste, and kelp noodles, to name a few. Whether purchased on a whim or for a complicated recipe I never got around to, offbeat ingredients like these loiter in my cabinets, waiting for me to make the time to figure out what to do with them.

Fast, Low-Fat Vegan Creamed Spinach

Sometimes you just want comfort food—something warm and rich and delicious that tastes like being hugged feels.

For me, however, that craving usually comes when I have the least time to cook.

Case in point: Last week, I was surfing through the freezer for something—anything!—to make for dinner, and spied a bag of plain spinach. Now, back in my (ahem) less healthy days, pre-fab creamed spinach was a weeknight staple in my freezer. Sure, I knew it was loaded with fat and fillers, but it sure was fast—and tasty. Needless to say, since transitioning to a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle, said spinach hasn't exactly been part of my repertoire.

Staring into that freezer, though, I was suddenly overcome with a visceral longing for old-school creamed spinach. (Please tell me I'm not alone in this.)

A Week of Overcoming Emotional Eating

Ah, emotional eating. Last week I talked the talk; this week I (attempted to) walk the walk.

I stumbled a bit, shall we say.

Monday, at least, was smooth sailing. My strategies were fresh in my head, I was well rested from the weekend, and I completely rocked my swim workout. So I had no problem stopping eating when I was full, keeping my paws off the few trigger foods left in my house, and keeping mealtime distractions to a minimum. I was proud as a peacock. Emotional eating, begone!

Then things started going downhill.

7 Ways to Stop Emotional Eating

I've been a little stressed lately. Career decisions are clamoring to be made, my dog needs surgery but is too sick to get it right now, taxes need to be done, and hubby and I are trying to figure out something as basic as where to live for the next few years.

So I've got a bit on my plate right now, as no doubt you do too. I don't know your situation—maybe your job is sucking the life out of you? You're facing a frightening health challenge? Or maybe you're just completely wiped out from your day-to-day rat race.

Whatever you're dealing with, I do know one thing: When the going gets tough, even the toughest among us often turn to our drug of choice to cope:

Food.

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Raisins and Pine Nuts

Greetings, veggie lovers (and aspiring veggie lovers)! I'm back from a lengthy blogging break, but it hasn't all been for naught: I've been training in the off season.

Feel-Good Food
Specifically, I spent some time sprucing up my health—and my cooking skills—at the lovely TrueNorth Health Center in Santa Rosa, CA. There, the menu is plant-based, veggies abound, and everything served is free of added salt, oil, and sugar (SOS), yet is flavorful and delicious. (Seriously.)

Now, I'm a fan of food so healthy it practically goes to the gym for you, but only if it tastes great. So I did my darnedest to learn to make it, not only by attending TrueNorth's lectures and cooking demos, but also by liberally sampling Executive Chef Ramses Bravo's tasty culinary offerings. (Anything for the greater good!)