While you can make a tasty pot of greens by using a bag of baby kale or spinach, I strongly encourage you to take a trip to your local farmers market and choose the best seasonal tender greens available.
My family enjoys mixing different greens. Some combinations we love are a Bloomfield spinach and a peppery rapini combination or tatsoi and baby kale.
Please note, if you go this route you will need to soak - not just rinse - and spin your greens. Fresh greens will require you to soak/rinse and repeat in order to remove all of the grit and sand. I promise, even if you personally do not taste any sand you are guaranteed to serve these for your mother-in-law and she will get the honor of biting into a fork full of the grit and sand. While you will spend more time ensuring your greens are clean, using young greens means you’re only 20 or 30 minutes away from some of the best greens you have ever tasted.
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 cups Organic Greens
2 Chopped Shallots
3 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Serrano or Jalapeno Pepper (Optional)
1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
Add olive oil, shallots, garlic, and jalapeno pepper to a dutch oven or heavy stock pot and cook until tender. Add greens and cook covered for 20-30 minutes. Add ACV and salt and pepper.
]]>These are perfect for bake sales since so many little ones are sensitive or allergic to milk and eggs. You can also try out different flours such as coconut or almond to make them gluten-free. Just experiment with the ratios (things vary depending on the weather, your altitude, your oven, etc...). I'm willing to bet you'll have fun eating the trials. (That includes the mistakes, which usually taste delicious even if they look like a hot mess.)
Simple Vegan Brownies
1 cup of vegetable oil or non-dairy butter of your choice
3/4 cup natural cane or granulated sugar
2 large flax eggs (here's an easy one)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
(Optional add-ins:) 1/3 cup walnuts, hazelnuts or chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray 7-8 standard-sized muffin tins with cooking spray. Alternatively, fit each with a paper liner.
Prepare flax eggs in a small bowl and let rest for 5 minutes.
Place butter in a large mixing bowl and melt in the microwave. Then stir in the flax egg, sugar, vanilla, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Whisk to combine. Lastly, add the flour, then fold in any mix-ins - chocolate chips, hazelnuts or walnuts would be excellent here.
Scoop batter evenly into 7-8 muffin tins until 3/4 full and bake on the middle rack for 22-26 minutes, or until the brownies start to pull away from the sides and they spring back slightly to the touch. Be careful not to overcook or they will get crumbly. Remove from oven and let rest in the tin for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a plate or cooling rack.
Enjoy!
Love,
]]>There's something about eating outside that makes everything taste better. This is especially true when it comes to picnics. Maybe it's the fresh air, the sun beaming down on bare legs or cool grass between your toes, but dining alfresco makes great food taste even better.
Packing a great picnic can be fun and simple. With a little bit of creativity and planning, you'll have a feast that travels well and satisfies the whole group. This recipe is delicious and you don't have to worry too much about when you eat it. The cauliflower is delicious served hot, room temperature or chilled. (Just try your best to not eat it all before you leave the house. No. Seriously. It's that good. No. I mean it.) Visit our Facebook page to see how easy it is to pull it all together.
Tip: Take the dressing in a tightly-sealed Mason jar and pour it over the arugula once you arrive to your picnic location to keep everything green and fresh.
Curry Cauliflower Wraps
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
3 teaspoons olive oil
4 teaspoons good quality curry powder (or to taste; I use a ton!) (see cook's note at bottom)
3 garlic cloves, minced, grated or pressed
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt (please see note)
2 pieces of wrap of your choice (pita or flat bread work beautifully)
For the salad topping and dressing
1/2 cup hummus (the more garlicky and lemony the better!)
4 cups arugula mixed baby greens
1/4 cup finely sliced red onion, plus more for garnish (use green onions if you prefer a more mild onion flavor)
3 tablespoons minced cilantro (or parsley if you prefer)
1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Hot sauce to taste
Preheat oven to 400˚ F. Put florets in a bowl. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, combine olive oil, curry powder, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt (if not in curry powder or if desired). Combine well, pour over florets and toss well until they are evenly coated. Place the florets on roasting pan. Be sure they have enough room to roast, not steam. Bake until edges of the florets are golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes or so. Let them go longer if need be. (Every oven is different.)
While the florets roast, spread hummus inside the pita bread (or the bread of your choosing). Toss greens with onion and cilantro) or parsley). In a separate bowl, combine garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. Pour over the arugula and toss until well coated. Divide the greens into the wrap/pita. Top with roasted cauliflower. Add dash of hot sauce to taste. Enjoy!
Note: If your curry powder contains salt, you may prefer to omit salt.
Enjoy!
Love,
]]>As we (finally) move into days with a little more sun and warmth, it's common to crave dishes that are a bit lighter and fresher. This Creamy Avocado Carbonara (click here to watch it all come together) fits the bill. The pasta makes it filling and while the sauce is flavorful without being too heavy on your palate. It's light enough for lunch but hearty enough for dinner which makes it perfect for spring eats. It would also be a great side dish to have a gathering since it is delicious served warm or cold.
Creamy Avocado Carbonara
1 medium sized ripe Avocado, pitted
Zest from half a lemon
Segmented lemon (or just the juice of 1 lemon)
3 garlic cloves
Pinch of salt (to taste)
¼ cup parsley
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup of walnuts, chopped and toasted
Freshly ground pepper (to taste)
Fresh parsley, to garnish
8 ounces of pasta
Cook your pasta according to directions on package. Meanwhile combine the lemon segments or juice, garlic and olive oil with a stick blender or in a food processor. Process until smooth. Add in garlic, parsley and salt to taste. Process until very smooth and creamy. Top the pasta with the sauce and stir it together. To serve, garnish with fresh parsley, pepper, lemon zest and walnuts.
Enjoy...
Love,
]]>Love,
]]>When I think about it, it's as if it were yesterday that I stepped onto the heart-shaped jute welcome mat I loved and turned the key in that glossy wood door. It was in a sketchy part of town and each time I came home from work around 1:00 am, I had to say a little prayer that I'd find a decent parking spot on the street.
But the moment I entered my cozy little one-bedroom apartment, all was right with the world. I didn't have much, but the space was clean, organized and filled with fun and practical things I loved. Throw pillows, candles, lamps, wood carvings, wall art and a host of other inexpensive items I found while thrift and bargain shopping allowed me to carve out about 600 square feet of bliss.
My goal is to help you have the same feeling as you make your home - regardless of square footage or location - a cozy, warm retreat from the rest of the world. I believe it should be a space where you create, rest, repair, relax and love with the most freedom possible.
With this in mind, I continually source beautiful and practical products I'm crazy about and that I believe you will love too. There will never be a product in the G+G collections that is merely a "meh". If I wouldn't buy it for myself or for someone I love, it will never make the cut. That is my promise to you.
We've all heard "home is where the heart is". I believe this from the deepest part of who I am. Building a business that helps people create spaces they absolutely love while helping others who are in need is a manifestation of this.
It is my absolute joy and a true labor of love to be able to share in this process with you. I am honored each time you choose to shop on G+G because I know the heart of the brand and the desire to help others is the real tie that binds.
You have many stores to choose from. I thank you for your decision to allow us into your homes and to take this journey with us.
Love,
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