Rooted in Balance

Spicy Rainbow Veggie Bowl

While I definitely wish summer was going to last a few more weeks, these cooler temps mean that I can enjoy eating on the patio. Eating in the glow of the golden hour somehow makes everything taste better.

The sunlight makes my food look more radiant, and it doesn't hurt that my plates are filled with as many colors as possible. This veggie bowl is filled with differenr colors, flavors, and textures. The kimchi pickles and the fava bean tofu are my current new favorite things, and I'm looking for a way to add them to all my meals.

Zucchini Fritters, Smoky Oven Roasted Potatoes, & Dino Kale

Sunday dinners haven't looked the same since I've been instructed to follow a gluten-free diet while my doctor and I monitor a few things. I don't always reach for a piece of cornbread or a roll, but it has felt like they were missing from my plate recently.

Even more challenging ... making the meals I want without wheat. A tablespoon of all-purpose flour goes a long way, so finding the right substitute has been key. I've tried lots of gluten-free mixes from stores but have really been enjoying making my own oat flour with a bag of organic, gluten-free oatmeal and a blender.

For these zucchini fritters, I blended a cup of oats with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, and parsley before mixing with shredded zucchini and flax eggs. I coated with gluten-free rice flour breadcrumbs for a nice crunch and served them with smoky oven roasted potatoes and lacinato aka dino kale cooked with coconut milk.

635 days ... that's the last time I posted. 🤯 I knew it'd been a while but was actually shocked to see the number. As much as I wanted to share good food, I simply didn't have the capacity.

So many things shifted over the last 21 months, and I had to pick where I focused my energy. My body was a little slower and required more attention. My meals looked a little different as I couldn't stand as long or had stop in the middle of cooking to rest.

I originally started eating plant-based due to abdominal pain, and it's been a 10-year journey to manage chronic pain that was finally diagnosed as endometriosis. It's been 7 months since surgery, and I'm still healing and learning this new body. There were many days when all I wanted was to be in the kitchen, but I had just enough strength to move around to prevent complications.

I am overjoyed to be back in the kitchen and cooking again on my own ... though I'll be eternally grateful to my husband for cooking for months during my recovery and helping me move pots and be my hands while my body adjusted to being back in the kitchen. Who knew reaching for anything used so many muscles!

I am even more thrilled to resume cooking classes and talking about food and lifestyle changes with clients. Blog posts are live on rootedinbalance.com, and more on this journey will be on if you want to follow along.

I'll be making more things from scratch these days and allowing curiosity to drive my interests. Here's what I've been cooking lately, and I am excited to share new things soon. Welcome back to my kitchen!

Spicy Veggie & Rice Bowl

Last night's leftovers easily transformed into today's lunch. I removed the taco shells and made rice and black beans the base of the bowl. Some bell pepper, onion, and corn added more flavor for the next layer, but the star of this bowl was the spicy cauliflower, mushroom, and pecan crumbles. I finished the bowl by topping it with a cilantro lime slaw, tomatoes, guacamole, and salsa.

I definitely added a little too much chili powder and cayenne pepper last night, and the flavors had only intensified by lunchtime. But I couldn't resist all the plant-based goodness of this bowl. Thankfully, the slaw and tomatoes added a refreshing, cooling balance for the spice.

Cauliflower, Mushroom, & Pecan Taco Plate

Taco Tuesday got even tastier with this homemade crumble. A quick pulse in the food processor chopped the cauliflower, mushrooms, and pecans into the perfect texture. Then I mixed the crumble with homemade taco seasoning and grapeseed oil before roasting for 30 minutes.

Once I removed the pan from the oven, I added the mix to a skillet with tomato paste and water. It simmered for 10 minutes on low before it was ready to serve. I spooned generous helpings into blue corn shells and topped with a quick pickled slaw, tomatoes, and guacamole. And this plate wouldn't be complete without rice and beans on the side.

For this Meatless Monday, we're focusing on lentils. They're one of my favorite go-to staples because they are packed with protein, iron, folate, and fiber. Plus, they're incredibly versatile for meatless substitutes.

1. BBQ Lentil Balls, Rice, & Salad
2. Smoky Lentil Patty Sandwich
3. Fennel Lentil Patties, Black-eyed Peas, Macaroni, Side Salad, & Cornbread

Strawberry Shortcake

With summer days getting shorter, I'm enjoying the season's best fruits while I can.
Juicy strawberries inspired this delicious dessert. Homemade biscuits made this strawberry shortcake shine, and non-dairy coconut milk whipped topping added creamy richness.

We enjoyed it so much that I had to make it twice. 

Version 1 - I made a strawberry topping by mixing the berries and sugar and allowed it to sit, creating a syrup. I layered this between the biscuit and added whipped topping on the side before dusting with powdered sugar.

Version 2 - I simply diced strawberries and layered them with the whipped topping in the biscuit to make it light and airy.

Which would you pick?

Fries w/ Avocado & Blue Agave Sriracha Sauce and Creamy Avocado Salad

Friday meals go one of two ways.
1. I'm excited for the weekend, and I spend hours in the kitchen creating something new.
2. I make something edible so that I can sit down and relax.

This plate definitely fell into the latter category, but I can never go wrong with homemade fries. Plus, I had a bunch of avocados that had to be used.

First, I made a creamy avocado sauce by blending avocados, plant-based mayo, oat milk, and seasonings. I drizzled the sauce over the fries along with a squeeze of blue agave sriracha sauce. Then, I mixed leafy greens, sweet peppers, and avocado chunks into the remainder of the avocado sauce. Simple and delicious

How does your Friday dinner look?

Vegetable & Grain Bowl

This week's bowl is inspired by my love of bowls from Cava and Yafo Kitchen. I combined a bunch of my favorite things from each restaurant and added my own twist. I'm already looking forward to making this again with even more ingredients because that's the beauty of making it homemade.

• rice • black lentils • roasted broccoli • harissa chickpeas • cranberry carrot salad • kalamata olives • tomatoes • cucumbers • crispy eggplant • hummus • garlic dip • lemon basil vinaigrette •