greens, tofu and artichoke pie.

this pie is one of the most satisfying and crowd-pleasing dishes i've made in a while: healthy, flavorful, and filling. 

the key is knowing how to work with phyllo dough. i've always been intimidated by the thin, fragile sheets that seem to predictably crumble in my fingertips - that is, until i learned that all you need to do is let them thaw at room temperature for about 2 hours before cooking. defrosted phyllo sheets are way more workable and unlikely to fall apart in your hands. it also helps to have a sous chef at your side when layering the sheets atop each other.

this is the kind of pie to serve a non-vegan crowd. the mix of cumin, oregano, toasted pine nuts, and kalamata olives give it a nice kick, and the tofu nutritional yeast combo sufficiently bulks it up. i used swiss chard and arugula for this recipe, but any greens would work well. these ingredients bake inside a warm flaky crust that steams when you remove it from the oven. served it with a simple salad of little gems and tomatoes, it makes for a lovely late summer meal.

greens, tofu and artichoke pie

adapted from fat free vegan kitchen

1/2 red onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch swiss chard, chopped finely, stems and leaves separated

2 handfuls arugula or other green

1/2 pound extra-firm tofu

1 tbsp. nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste

2 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. minced Kalamata olives

1/8 tsp. ground cumin

black pepper, to taste

1/2 can quartered artichokes, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

12 sheets phyllo dough, cut in half and thawed

oil in spray bottle

heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. once the oil is hot, sauté the onion, garlic, and chard stems for 3 minutes. add the chard greens and cook until they are completely wilted. set aside.

while the chard cooks, mash or finely chop the tofu. dump the tofu into a big mixing bowl, and add in the nutritional yeast, oregano, lemon juice, olives, cumin, artichokes, pine nuts, and the spinach mixture. mix well. salt and pepper to taste.

preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. lay a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet that is at least 8x8.

once the phyllo dough has been thawing at room temperature for at least an hour, unwrap the dough and cut it in half lengthwise. put half in the fridge, and set the other half beside the baking sheet.

lay a sheet of phyllo atop the parchment paper, spray it lightly with oil, and repeat the process until you have 6 sheets in the bottom of the pan. pour the spinach-tofu filling into the pan, spreading it to completely cover the phyllo. repeat the phyllo process, covering the filling with six more sheets, spraying each one lightly. spray the top sheet of phyllo.

put it in the oven and bake for about a half hour, until the top is lightly browned. cut into squares and enjoy!

palak tofu with fire-roasted tomatoes.

i've found it: my new favorite greens dish. while i would never dissuade you from my trying my earlier saag tofu recipe, this newer version comes together much quicker and with fewer ingredients, making it an ideal weeknight recipe. from start to finish, this dinner will take you no more than forty-five minutes to throw together. 

i piloted the recipe using spinach but look forward to trying it out with kale or chard next time around. serve with some rice, dal, and naan for a hearty, well-balanced meal.

palak tofu with fire-roasted tomatoes

adapted from pinch of yum

for the palak:

1 tablespoon oil

1 red onion, minced

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1-2 teaspoons fresh ginger

3 teaspoons minced garlic

1 14-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes, drained

1 huge carton of spinach or other greens (you can use as spinach as you want, but i would suggest no fewer than 8 handfuls)

1 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

½ cup water

1 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper

for the tofu:

8 ounces extra firm tofu, drained and cubed

1 teaspoon oil

salt and pepper

prepare your tofu by first removing all of the excess water. you can do this by wrapping it in paper towels and setting a plate or something heavy on top of it for a couple of minutes. repeat as necessary until it feels firm and dry.

heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. once your oil is hot, toss in the cubed tofu and pan fry until lightly browned on both sides. when it’s cooked, add a pinch of salt and pepper, stir, and then dump into a small mixing bowl to cool (note: you could also do this step in advance to save time).

in the same skillet, heat a tablespoon of oil over medium heat. sauté the onion until soft, about 8 minutes. push the onion to the side of the pan and add the cumin seeds. stir the cumin seeds around in the middle for about a minute so they can crackle and pop.

add the garam masala, ground coriander, ginger and garlic. sauté everything together for 2-3 minutes. add the fire roasted tomatoes and sauté for another 5-10 minutes.

now add the spinach, a few handfuls at a time, to the mixture. to help the leaves cook down, keep scooping the tomato mixture over the greens. when all of the spinach is cooked, add the fresh cilantro to the skillet. sauté for another couple of minutes.

transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor. pulse a few times until you get the desired consistency. I like mine mostly smooth with a few chunks (not pureed). return the mixture to the skillet, and stir in the water. add the salt, pepper, and tofu. simmer for 5-10 minutes. serve immediately.

simple, perfect salsa.

full disclosure: these past few months, i feel like i've lost sight of why i started this blog in the first place. 

i created this space over a year and a half ago as a way to share dishes i was cooking and culinary discoveries i was making. it was an exciting time: i realized why you heat the oil in the pan before adding garlic and onion. i figured out why you cook said garlic and onion before adding other ingredients to the mix. i found out how amazing vegetables can taste when prepared under medium-high heat while being seasoned along the way. i discovered grains for the first time: quinoa, polenta, farro, bulgur, (forbidden) rice. i started explored how soothing and therapeutic stirring, braising, and simmering could be. recently, i realized why people swear by their dutch ovens. most importantly, though, i recognized that relationships with family and friends could be cultivated in the kitchen. 

basically: i got why people cook. together. it turns out mealtimes are not just about calorie consumption or satisfying taste buds. food's potential is so much greater. it can bring people together over a hot stove. it can create a space for creativity and collaboration. 

since then, however, i feel like i've caught a case of blog insecurity! i've felt like my photos aren't quite good enough or my recipes aren't quite high end enough. but this week, as i've been looking through earlier posts and reflecting on how far i've come in my culinary pursuits, it's been a wake up call. my recipes - both the failures and the successes - though they may not involve rare ingredients or specialized cooking techniques.. they have all been tasty. and healthy. 

i offer today's recipe in honor of that original blog ideal: my version of mollie katzen's classic salsa. simple, delicious, flavorful. i hope it inspires you this summer. more importantly, i hope it helps you to pursue your own culinary passion, however modest or simple it may seem. cooking is about so much more than just being fancy. 


mollie katzen’s salsa perfection

from the new moosewood cookbook

3 ripe roma tomatoes

3 scallions, finely minced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

a big handful cilantro, finely chopped

1 tsp lightly toasted cumin seeds

1 tsp salt

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs fresh lime juice

throw the tomatoes into a pot of simmering water. wait 10 seconds, then remove and peel off the skins. discard the seeds and dice the remaining pulp. throw everything together in a small bowl. refrigerate until ready to eat.

in lieu of soup.

it's the so-called "dead of winter" here in california, and the idea of swapping out my moccasins for sandals is growing almost unbearably tempting. they say the weather is really unusual for this time of year, but i'm not so secretly hoping they're wrong. as a native arizonan, 70 degree winters feel nothing but perfectly normal - and after almost a decade spent in chicago and germany, very appreciated.

the only downside to this warm weather front is that it doesn't look like i'm going to have any soup recipes to share with you this year. it's just that the prospect of gulping down steaming hot liquid under these circumstances is less than appealing. i hope you understand. and i also hope you'll accept another quinoa recipe to ease the momentary void. while it's certainly no soup, it is incredibly flavorful and perfect as a between-soup palette cleanser. and who knows, maybe a cold wind will strike in the next month or two! if so, i'll be the first to pull out my oversized pot and a gallon of vegetable stock.  

spiced rainbow quinoa with chickpeas

modified from dana treat

1 14 oz. can chickpeas, drained


3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice


3 tbsp. olive oil, divided


2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. cumin seeds


1 tsp. turmeric

1 cup rainbow quinoa

2 cups water


1 tsp. salt


3 green onions, thinly sliced
(white and green parts)

½ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

combine chickpeas, lemon juice, 2 tbsp. oil, and garlic in a large bowl. stir to combine, and let marinate as you make the quinoa (though you can let it sit longer, of course!).

heat the other tbsp. oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and turmeric. stir around until fragrant, about 1 minute. add the water, quinoa, and salt. give it a stir. cover and bring to simmer. reduce heat to medium-low. let simmer until all water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

once ready, fluff up with a fork before adding in the green onions, parsley, and chickpea mixture. toss to blend. season to taste with salt and pepper. serve either warm or at room temperature.