I like to make January an eating challenge, a “reset” if you will. Last year I did Whole30, which was great (and hard) but I was a little alarmed at the amount of meat I ate. This year I decided to go Whole Food Plant Based (or at least vegetarian, I’m keeping my olive oil for now) for January. Turns out this Instant Pot Vegan White Bean Soup was the perfect dinner, with plenty of leftovers for lunches! Flavorful and filling, you won’t miss the meat.
It’s a New Year and we are back with a renewed focus on all things food, health, and building community here at With Two Spoons. We are starting the year off with a brand new recipe to get your year started off right: Healthy Meal Prep Sun Dried Tomato and Feta Egg Bites.
I came up with the idea for this Roasted Carrot and Quinoa Salad last spring, while trying to figure out a last minute side dish just before some guests were due to come for dinner. I took a quick look in the fridge, grabbed a couple of things out of the pantry, and crossed my fingers. Thankfully, the dish was a hit and after making it all summer for simple dinners and entertaining alike, I figured it was about time I shared the recipe here. 
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My new title should be “Queen of the nondescript looking beige dips”. But guys, this Baba Ghanoush is SO, SO good. A little garlicky, a little lemony, and after all what else are you going to do with all of the eggplants that have come in your CSA this summer? (no really, what ARE you going to do? I need ideas. Stat.)
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Summertime always makes me crave simple foods. I don’t know if it’s that summer produce is just so good and fresh that it doesn’t need much, or that the slow pace of lazy summer days makes me a little lazy in the kitchen. Either way, when the warm weather hits, simple is my mantra. Like this Simple Lentil Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables. 
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Does anyone else out there subscribe to a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share? I get one through a local farm (Featherstone Farms, I love you!), and when I pick up my box of fresh vegetables each week, I get really excited about all of the amazing things that I am going to make. Perfect heads of lettuce, deep purple eggplants, bright green peppers, sweet yellow corn.
This year I’ve been getting a lot of carrots and zucchini in my boxes, which just so happens to be the perfect combination for making these Carrot Zucchini Fritters with Lemon Basil Aioli.
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Breakfast always brings out strong feelings in people. Some folks can’t live without eating two minutes after getting out of bed. Some people never eat breakfast and instead start with lunch. I was always pretty meh about breakfast, but that’s when I thought breakfast was supposed to be sugary cereals (blech…). These Summer Vegetable Breakfast Burritos have totally swayed me into the breakfast is important camp! And they’re easy!
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Fourth of July is coming soon and that means camping, cookouts, potlucks and picnics!
And if I know you, you’re looking for a hearty dish that you can take to that gathering and not worry about the dreaded “sitting out in the heat” problem. No problem! Herbed Picnic Potato Salad is full of flavor, without the mayo!
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Here in Minneapolis we finally saw our first 80 degree day. Everyone flocked outside to take advantage of the amazing sunshine. People congregated on driveways, at parks, around our 10,000+ lakes. Just so dang happy to be outside!
But as the temperatures go up, and everyone gathers outside, snacks are needed. Like this Lemon Rosemary White Bean Dip made with Fresh Crush Rosemary Olive Oil from the Queen Creek Olive Mill. Perfect for a summer gathering (or really ANY gathering).
Don’t trust me? It’ll take you FIVE minutes to make it this delicious dip and you can see for yourself!
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Sometimes, the simplest recipes really are the best recipes. No fuss and full of flavor? I’m totally on board. Recently, I had a craving for cashew butter but didn’t want to run to the store and really wasn’t excited about dropping $12 on a jar of nut butter. Digging in my pantry, I found a bag of cashews I had picked up the week before and I decided I was going to take matters into my own hands. A few short minutes later, our Easy Honey Cardamom Cashew Butter was born.
With only 5 ingredients and no cooking required, this cashew butter is about as easy as it gets. In less than 10 minutes, you can have a jar of creamy cashew butter ready to devour by the spoonful or plop onto some toast or a bagel. Simply grab a cup or two of roasted cashews and a good food processor or high speed blender (like a Blendtec or Vitamix). After a quick pulse or three in the food processor with a few spices (in this case, kosher salt and ground cardamom), we add a little honey for sweetness and set the food processor to run on until the nuts and spices blend into a smooth, creamy butter. Try not to eat it all straight out of the processing jar!…