They also just so happen to be vegan. As I flick through my little collection of East African cookbooks, I feel the same comfort and joy as I do when I cosy up with my favourite Indian ones. Both are full of spices, simple veggies and coconut milk in almost everything. The Swahili cooking I know and love is fresh, vibrant and full of love. My connection with East Africa I’ve grown up with a mishmash of Indian, African and British food....
These sandwiches are just yummy and easy to customize. If you are looking for a twist on the classic try Hawaiian, Greek, and a personal favorite Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes. Delicious Sloppy Joe Recipe I once had a conversation with my family about why Sloppy Joes were called Sloppy Joes and not something like messy bobs? Well it turns out that when your name is Joe and you invented this family favorite, you get to name it after yourself if you want....
Ras Malai tops my three favorite Indian desserts. It’s milky, creamy, and perfectly sweet. Whenever I attend Indian weddings, if Ras Malai is on the menu, no matter how full I am, I must indulge. For me, the best part of Ras Malai is the ras – the liquid part, so clearly I needed to make Ras Malai Mousse using just the liquid part of this delicious dessert. Is this dessert Eggless?...
Roasted Strawberry Almond Flour Muffins These healthy almond flour muffins are delicious for breakfast or a snack. Roasting the strawberries is a real game changer. It makes them sweeter and dries them out so the muffins don’t get too moist. For more of my favorite strawberry recipes, try my Roasted Strawberry Banana Bread, Strawberry Scones, and Strawberry Crisp. How do you keep muffins moist and not dry? I only use a little butter in these strawberry almond flour muffins, but the Greek yogurt prevents them from being dry....
Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls I love sweet potatoes and bowl recipes so I love this plant based meal in one dish. These bowls are very satisfying due to their long list of nutritious ingredients. You get protein and fiber from a combination of brown rice, beans, Greek yogurt, and sweet potatoes, plus plenty of vitamins and minerals from the kale and avocado. This recipe is slightly adapted from Meat to the Side: A Plant-Foward Guide to Bringing Balance to Your Plate by Liren Baker....
Each month, I’ll share snippets of what I’m working on, habits I’m cultivating, things bringing me joy, books/TV shows/podcasts I’m enjoying, and more. Think of it as stream-of-consciousness blabbering meets a semi-curated list of recommendations meets life update. What I’m watching, listening to, and reading 🎧 Listening I recently finished a podcast series that shook me to my core. It’s called The Retrievals, and it tells the story of dozens of women who had horrendous, excruciatingly painful experiences at the Yale Fertility Clinic during their IVF egg retrievals....
What is the RPL Recipe Club? Each month, I’ll choose one Rainbow Plant Life recipe that anyone in the RPL community can choose to make. You can make it just for fun OR you can enter to win an amazing prize each month! This month’s prize is listed below. At the end of each month, we will randomly select a winner and share our favorite photos here! Sign up for the Rainbow Plant Life newsletter (only newsletter subscribers are eligible to win the monthly prize, though you can of course still participate without being signed up)....
Sautéed Zucchini with Plum Tomatoes This simple side dish recipe is a great way to use your summer garden zucchini and tomatoes. Use a good extra virgin olive oil and fresh tomatoes for the best flavor. Another summer side dish I love is this easy Grilled Zucchini recipe. And when I have more time, this Zucchini Lasagna is my all time favorite! Tommy is not a fan of zucchinis but he raved about this dish and and asked me to keep it on rotation....
Shredded Raw Brussels Sprout Salad with Bacon and Avocado More brusssles sprout recipes you may enjoy are Raw Shredded Brussels sprouts salad with lemon and oil, Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze. My youngest daughter Madison loves eating shredded raw brussels sprout salads, which I realize may be a bit odd for a six year old. She doesn’t like them cooked however, so I use them in salads quite often, and sometimes even pack it for her lunch (yes, she does get teased about this!...
I love ceviche and the countless ways you can make it. This shrimp ceviche recipe is from my friend Doreen who makes it with vinegar and adds a touch of honey to balance out the acidity. If you’re following a Whole30 diet, you can leave the honey out, it will still taste great. It’s really simple to make, and and pairs so wonderful with the creamy avocado. It’s also great to make ahead, as it tastes better the longer it marinates (perfect to pack for lunch)....
The peanut dipping sauce is the real star of the show – to-die-for! To save time, I bought beautiful cooked shrimp from costco and pre-shredded carrots. The only tricky part is wrapping the rice paper, but after you do one, you get the hang of it (see video below). This makes a great appetizer or you can even have a few for lunch. How To Make Shrimp Summer Rolls:
Sweet peaches, basil and shallots are a great flavor combination in this light, savory-sweet chicken dish. Once in a while I like to take a break from testing new recipes and make something from one of my many cookbooks. When I look through a cookbook, I usually like to try something I would never have thought of making which is what inspired me to try this dish from Virginia Willis’ Cookbook, Lighten Up ‘Yall; Classic Southern Recipes Made Healthy and Wholesome....
3-Bean Turkey Chili Recipe More chili recipes you might enjoy are Quick Beef Chili, Turkey Chili Taco Soup, and White Chicken Chili. My brother shared this recipe with me back in 2009, many years ago when I first started this blog. This makes enough for leftovers, which taste even better the next day. You can prepare this the night before and turn it on in the morning, leftovers freeze great too....
Slow Cooker Cranberry Pear Butter Fruit spreads like this cranberry butter can be such a lovely compliment to your meal, a other favorites are Crock Pot Applesauce, Cranberry Pear Sauce, Slow Cooker Apple Butter, and Pumpkin Butter.I especially love it with turkey or on a roasted turkey breast sandwich. Pictured below I served this with turkey on a whole wheat baguette with some broccoli sprouts – delicious. And since so many are asking, although I have and love my Instant Pot, I still love my slow cooker!...
Remember how last week is was really hot and in the 90’s and I wished that fall weather would come? Well it came yesterday and got down to 54 degrees. The heater even kicked on last night. We have this cold that is going through our family and now I am the one that has it. So now I am not too sure I am quite ready for this cold weather....
Pumpkin cookies are always a favorite in our home! ! If you love pumpkin cookies as much as I do try my Iced Pumpkin Spice Cookies, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies, Caramel Pumpkin Snickerdoodles or Melt in Your Mouth Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting. Soft and Puffy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles Anyone else loving this time of year?! I love all the changes of colors, even the cooler temperatures and the sweet smell of pumpkin spice....
Spicy Hearts of Palm Noodles with Chicken If you want an easy way to get more veggies in your diet, I’m obsessed with these low-carb, gluten-free hearts of palm noodles. They’re so healthy – you’re pretty much eating a big bowl of veggies! And they’re much better than zucchini noodles because they’re not watery and have a similar texture to noodles. I used hearts of palm noodles in place of pasta in this peanut stir fry and loved it so much I created this spicy chicken version....
Here are some tips and variations: I prefer the flavor of real bacon, so I buy center cut which is a bit leaner than regular bacon and I drain it well after cooking. Can you make them with turkey bacon? Sure, if you don’t eat pork that would work. To make these vegetarian, replace the bacon with a little Feta cheese and chopped fresh herbs. Can you make them ahead of time?...
