A Side of Sweet

Chilled Green Gazpacho Soup

Chilled Green Gazpacho Soup is your new summer recipe. It’s healthy and almost entirely made ahead of time. Try it with an Alvarhino wine from the Vinho Verde region in Portugal.

Gazpacho is the perfect summer soup. It requires no slaving away over the stove and it’s served chilled, which makes it super refreshing. Because of all of the Vinho Verde wines I’ve been enjoying lately, I was also inspired by Portuguese Soupa Verde Frio (Cold Green Soup) to put a green spin on gazpacho with tomatillos and leafy greens instead of tomatoes.

This gazpacho has another twist – it has bread it in! I recently enjoyed a a similar one at a local restaurant. I thought the bread added a really nice richness and made the super really special. It’s also super convenient because it’s marinated overnight meaning minimal prep at mealtime. I couldn’t resist trying it in this recipe, and the result was wonderful…. Read More »

Colorful Painted Rainbow Sugar Cookies

Hand-painted rainbow sugar cookies are fun and easy to make, and are perfect for a birthday, Pride celebration or just because rainbows are awesome.

June is Pride month in many cities all over the world. I had never been to a Pride celebration before moving to San Francisco three years ago. I vividly remember how joyous it was, but also how inclusive it was. Allies marched alongside their loved ones. There were coworkers and families. I could almost feel my heart swelling with happiness and there were several occasions where I was moved to tears.

Despite judgements, setbacks and threats, the LGBT community and their allies keep marching onwards. The recent shooting in Orlando has done nothing to keep us down. Instead, it has lit a fire in me and millions of others to continue to fight for equality for all people.

To fight for the right to visit loved ones in the hospital when they are ill, the right for spousal benefits and the right to celebrate love with marriage…. Read More »

Easy Panzanella Salad + White Wine Pairing

Nut Free

A beautiful and easy panzanella salad with cucumbers, tomatoes and crusty croutons that is perfect for summer! Pairs well with Portuguese Vinho Verde wines.

Panzanella salad is the perfect summer food. It’s easy to make and chock full of the things that make summer great, like fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions and basil. It’s basically an easy chopped salad, but the thing that sets it apart is the crusty croutons made from stale bread.

You can definitely buy croutons, but I encourage you to make your own from a good loaf of rustic bread. For this recipe, I used a fun olive loaf from my local farmer’s market. If you’re impatient like I am, you can spread up the old bread process by popping it in the oven for a bit to dry out.

I also made a recipe video, so be sure to click through and check it out!… Read More »

Vegetarian Buddha Bowls with Algae Oil

Gluten Free

These Vegetarian Buddha Bowls with Tofu, Sweet Potato and Roasted Veggies are healthy and gluten free. This version has a secret ingredient – algae oil!

You really can’t go wrong with buddha bowls. The dish gets its name from the fact that you pile food (ideally lots of healthy veggies) up so it looks like Buddha’s belly. They are so dang delicious right out of the oven, but they also make excellent leftovers to take to work.

This recipe is for two buddha bowls, but I highly recommend doubling or even tripling the recipe so you can enjoy them all week long! It’s always great to have healthy leftovers to take to work. They are also vegetarian and gluten free, with lots of healthy protein and fiber so you will feel satisfied during those long work days…. Read More »

Boozy Peach Sangria Popsicles with Prosecco

Boozy Peach Sangria Popsicles are the perfect summer treat! The recipe is inspired by Prosecco Popsicle Cocktails at Loopy Doopy Bar in NYC.
It’s June, so I consider this the official start of summer. School’s out, people are talking about summer vacations and the sun is out so late! It’s also officially popsicle season.

These boozy peach sangria popsicles will satisfy your inner kid but they are still all adult. I mean, what better way to enjoy sangria than in popsicle form? Stone fruit is just coming into season so scoop up those peaches and enjoy them in this boozy treat.

This recipe is actually video collaboration with my friend Ally of Fashion By Ally. We’re also hosting a giveaway so you can win everything you need to make your own popsicles! Check out the video for details. She’s sharing some healthy fruit popsicle recipes on her channel, so check that out too!

Check out the video after the jump!… Read More »

Best French Macarons in San Francisco

Where to buy the best french macarons in San Francisco. You’ll find them at Chantal Guillon, Ketsourine Macarons, and Le Macaron Stonestown.
Fact – french macarons are delicious. They are also finicky little buggers. I’ve tried to make them a handful of times and every time I swear I’ll never do it again! Especially when there are so many great places to find french macarons here in San Francisco! Here are a few that I turn to when I need my fix…. Read More »