Black Bean Raspberry Dip

I grew up close to Manhattan, Kansas (The Little Apple!). Tucked away in Aggieville is this unassuming restaurant called So Long Saloon and they make this killer black bean dip. It has a layer of spicy raspberry preserves and a layer of savory cream cheese. I've been thinking about this dip for many years (I haven't lived there since 2007, to give you an idea). A few months ago, I figured I'd search online to see if anyone else had experienced this magic appetizer and, to my surprise, one of my favorite food bloggers has, and wrote a recipe up for it. My recipe below is an adaption of hers (the main difference is that I've written out how I create the raspberry layer, because I couldn't find the store-bought version she uses). I also apparently didn't take any photos of my process (which is very unlike me), so I guess I have an excuse to make this again (& then update this post). I hope you enjoy this dip as much as I have!

Sweet and Spicy Mushroom Dumplings

Can we talk about the magic that are dumplings? They are like little savory pillows of happiness. I think a lot of people get intimidated when thinking about making dumplings or mandu (Korean-style dumplings), but once you get an assembly line going, you'll be ready. Not to mention, there are great dumpling wrappers that you can buy to cut down on making your own. This recipe makes about 45 dumplings and is adapted from The Woks of Life (love that blog name!). I split the 45 dumplings into steamed and fried, and I'll show you how to make both.

Chilled Peanut Butter Noodle Salad - "The Mental Salad"

Golden West Cafe in Baltimore has one of my all-time favorite dishes: the vegan Mental Salad. It is essentially a romaine salad topped with cold peanut butter sauce-covered noodles, carrots, scallions & sesame seeds. It is so delicious and I just had to replicate it! I needed a starting place, so I used a Table For Two recipe as a guide. My recipe was enough to feed two people dinner, plus a few days of leftovers (these noodles are perfect for leftovers, since they have to be chilled anyway). Enjoy!

Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

Enchiladas are great for entertaining a few folks or for making on a Sunday and wrapping up a few for your lunch over the week. The best thing about this recipe is that you can toss in any extra vegetables or proteins that you have lying around. This recipe makes at least 12 enchiladas.

Spicy Peanut Butter Tofu Stir Fry

This recipe was a first for me. Preparing tofu is always something I get nervous about every time I make it because it is such a finicky food (it can go anywhere from tasting like an amazing and filling meal to tasting like a sponge). This recipe is based off of a peanut butter tofu recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen and turned out really well. It wasn't as smooth as the original recipe made it look, but it was every bit as delicious as I wanted it to be. Pro tip: the meal tasted even better as leftovers, so try to save a little if you can handle it. This recipe makes about 4-5 servings.

Buffalo Chickpea Salad

Between work, school, and my internship, I am constantly busy. This salad was perfect for me to make the night before, toss it into a Tupperware container and move on with my life. Not to mention that this recipe (originally from Betsy Life) makes two servings, so you can share or have leftovers all for yourself! Enjoy!

Hoppin' John

Hoppin' John is a traditional meal to bring luck into the new year. It is usually made with bacon or some other meat, but Thug Kitchen posted an awesome vegan recipe this week. I changed things up a bit and tossed it all in my slow cooker. I served it over brown rice, but I've also heard of it being served with sauteed greens. This recipe makes about six servings. Have a happy & fruitful new year!

Homemade Sriracha Salt

I have a friend who loves sriracha, and what do you get for your sriracha-loving friend who already has everything rooster-related? Sriracha salt, I say. I have never flavored salt before and was worried it would be difficult, but honestly, it was so easy. I got the recipe from Radical Possibility and it makes one cup of salt. Keep an eye out for tons of other salt flavors in the future!

One-Pot Chili Mac

This comfort food is especially comforting when you're just tossing things together from your pantry. I have a few different chili recipes up on this blog already, so feel free to make this with one of them or with your own special chili recipe. Enjoy!

Homemade Trade: Vegan Kimchi

Kimchi is a staple in Korean food, and is totally worth making yourself because you can control the flavor. Essentially, you just need cabbage and patience. I made this kimchi for the homemade trade club (last time I made coconut almond granola, remember?). This version is completely vegan, meaning, unlike a lot of Korean-imported kimchi, it doesn't use fish sauce. My recipe is based on this helpful recipe from Greatist, and makes 24 ounces of kimchi (I split it up into six 4-ounce containers). I look forward to eating this as a side dish or snack, as they do in Korea, or even in a grilled cheese, or a quesadilla, which sounds crazy/delicious. Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable Salsa

I came into a large bounty of fresh vegetables this week, and started brainstorming all of the foods that I can make with them before they go bad. I settled on salsa because it's delicious, easy to share, and uses a ton of veggies! This recipe makes two jars' worth. Enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

A few weekends ago I went to the amazing Birroteca & ordered spicy roasted chickpeas for an appetizer. The entire table devoured them within minutes! They were spicy with a sugary, salty taste to them and we were all in love. I've been since looking for a similar recipe and I think I found it in The Lean Green Bean's blog. This recipe is really easy to make & doesn't cost very much at all. My rendition makes enough for about two to three people to finish in one sitting.

Portobello & Veggie Fajitas

Veggie fajitas are awesome because they're really filling and fairly low-calorie. Not to mention that they're super-easy to cook, as long as you have a skillet of some sort on hand. This is a highly customizable meal, so throw in any types of veggies, top with any type of sauce, and season as mild or spicy as you'd like. This recipe makes two generous servings.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Make this one time and you'll never buy those store-bought packets again (those things are packed with sodium anyway!). This seasoning is great for tacos, chili, fajitas, or whatever you'd like to make a little spicier. I just filled a jar and keep it in my pantry with the other spices, and it also makes a great gift. The recipe below gives you the spice ratio, and you can make as much or as little as you'd like.

Vegetarian Chili

Tonight was one of those nights where I have a lot of food in the house, but nothing to really make. So, I took a bunch of leftovers and things in my pantry and decided to make a chili. This is really easy (especially because I used a slow cooker), and because I used a meat substitute, your carnivorous friends will enjoy it as well. I made a small volume of chili, but you can multiply the recipe as much as you want! This recipe makes three to four servings.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

I was never a huge fan of chicken wings, but my partner is. And because he just started eating totally meatless, I decided to make these roasted cauliflower bites covered completely in buffalo sauce. They turned out very tasty, but we did have some hiccups (see the "Tips" section at the end of the blog post). One cauliflower can yield up to 30-40 bite-sized pieces. Here's the original recipe for reference.