Recipes › Appetizers Best Bruschetta Recipe By Samira Kazan updated November 15, 2024 This Italian bruschetta recipe with tomatoes combines a fresh tomato and basil topping over garlic-rubbed toast for a simple and delicious summer appetizer or snack. Even better, this tomato bruschetta recipe requires just 5 ingredients, 30 minutes , and is naturally vegan, and can be gluten-free, too! Along with a fresh Caprese salad , tabbouleh salad , and tomato and cucumber salad , I can’t think of a dish more perfect for enjoying the summer bounty of ripe tomatoes than this Italian bruschetta recipe....

Pantry Cocoa Powder Substitutes By Samira Kazan published February 26, 2024 If you’re craving something chocolatey but don’t have cocoa powder, try one of these easy cocoa powder substitutes instead. Want to save this recipe? What is cocoa powder? Considerations when replacing cocoa powder Raw cacao powder Dutch process cocoa powder Dark chocolate Baking chocolate Chocolate chips Hot chocolate mix Chocolate syrup Chocolate spread Chocolate protein powder Couverture chocolate Cocoa nibs Carob powder Espresso powder Peanut powder The Best Substitutes for Cocoa Powder Recipe What is cocoa powder?...

Recipes › Appetizers Crudite Platter (Veggie Platter with Dips) By Samira Kazan updated April 04, 2024 How to make a show-stopping crudité platter with fresh vegetables and appetizing dips. Including top tips on what vegetables and easy dips to include and how to arrange them for the ultimate veggie platter. A crudité platter might be one of the easiest and most beautiful party snack ideas. All you need is a selection of rainbow-colored vegetables that are in season or available to you....

Seafood Easy Shrimp Fried Rice By Samira Kazan published January 11, 2024 Skip takeout with this super simple, fast, and delicious homemade shrimp fried rice – made with tender veggies, fluffy egg, and succulent shrimp in under 20 minutes! Get ready to learn how to make better-than-takeout, restaurant-quality, easy shrimp fried rice with leftover rice and simple, inexpensive ingredients. It’s loaded with flavor and texture, healthier yet super satisfying, and NOT greasy or gummy....

Recipes › Mains Easy Thai Red Curry (Vegetarian/Vegan Options) By Samira Kazan updated August 13, 2024 Make this Thai red curry from scratch at home for a simple and delicious mid-week meal ready in just 25 minutes ! Packed with flavor and yet super customizable – this version is a nutrient-dense Thai vegetable curry. Plus, with a red curry paste made from scratch, you’ll never want to buy pre-made sauce again!...

Ingredient Guides By Samira Kazan published March 20, 2024 This simple guide to dragon fruit types and how to enjoy them demystifies this delicious tropical treat that’s bound to become a staple in your fruit bowl in the summer months. With its gorgeous skin and unique flesh, dragon fruit is a delicious tropical fruit packed full of antioxidants, vitamin C, and fiber. Originating from Central America and Mexico, where it’s known as “pitaya” or “strawberry pear,” there is a huge variety of dragon fruit types to discover....

Recipes › Drinks Guide to Easy Smoothie Recipes By Samira Kazan updated April 11, 2025 If you’ve been following me from the very beginning, then you’ll know that drinking smoothies and smoothie bowls are actually what influenced this entire blog. Finally, years on, I’ve decided to compile everything I’ve learned about how to make a smoothie into one ultimate comprehensive guide to smoothie making. Smoothie making can be so subjective – depending on people’s tastes, nutritional needs, calorie intake, textural preference, etc....

Recipes › Mains Healthy Veggie Burrito Bowl (Mexican Rice Bowl) By Samira Kazan updated November 15, 2023 Combine all the flavors of your favorite burrito in a quick to prepare (and meal-prep friendly) veggie burrito bowl . This Tex-Mex/Mexican rice bowl combines cilantro lime rice, beans, vegetables, and guacamole for the ultimate flavor-packed “naked burrito.” Plus, this recipe is super versatile and can be made gluten-free and vegan! I love healthy meals in bowls – especially if they come “fully loaded”‘ I’ve already shared this BBQ pulled jackfruit Japanese Donburi bowl and Bibimbap recipe ....

Recipes › Drinks Homemade Chocolate Mix (+ Variations) By Samira Kazan updated November 02, 2023 Simple, versatile homemade chocolate mix – perfect as a gift or for yourself and great for customizing to dietary requirements (dairy-free, keto, paleo, etc.) and personal taste. Enjoy an instant hot chocolate in under a minute with this simple hot cocoa mix! I wrote a post for my ultimate ‘base’ hot cocoa mix , along with tons (and I mean a ton!...

Condiments Homemade Chocolate Syrup Recipe By Samira Kazan updated January 17, 2024 With just five ingredients, this is how to make chocolate syrup from cocoa powder – and still get the same delicious taste you would with a traditional chocolate syrup recipe. Plus, there’s no refined sugar, no dairy and it can be made keto. Confession: I don’t have a huge sweet tooth. But sometimes I like adding a little more sweetness in the form of syrups....

Recipes ‚Ä∫ Drinks Homemade Tapioca Pearls (Boba) + Video! By Samira Kazan published July 15, 2024 Make tapioca pearls (boba pearls) at home with just three ingredients ! Follow my simple method to make boba perfect for bubble tea , taro milk tea , and more delicious bubble tea varieties! In this post, I’ll walk you through a simple DIY for making tapioca pearls, including how to cook them with dark brown sugar, and a simple brown sugar bubble milk tea recipe....

Recipes How to Cut Leeks and How to Cook Them By Samira Kazan updated January 31, 2023 If you want a versatile ingredient that’ll add a boost of extra nutrients to everything from scrambled eggs to casserole, get yourself acquainted with our old friend, the leek. Learn how to cut leeks and how to cook leeks following my easy steps. One of the biggest things I hear from new healthy eaters is that they don’t know how to cook vegetables....

Recipes How to Dry Chives By Samira Kazan updated January 17, 2024 Drying herbs at home is an easy, budget-friendly way to extend the shelf life of your food – and this is my fool-proof guide to getting perfect dried chives . Chives dry beautifully at home and keep their bright color and oniony flavor for months. They’re easy to prep, quick to dry, and perfect for sprinkling over eggs, potatoes, dips, and more....

Ingredient Guides How to Make Vital Wheat Gluten (and Wheat Flour Starch) By Samira Kazan updated July 17, 2025 How to make vital wheat gluten (in its wet and dry form) and wheat starch from wheat flour. It’s perfect for making homemade seitan, adding gluten to doughs, and making starch noodles. All you need is wheat flour and water! You may have seen the recent viral videos going around showing you how to make seitan using the flour-washing method....

Recipes › Snacks How to Roast Chestnuts in the Oven & Easy Peel Method By Samira Kazan updated April 10, 2025 Everything you need to know about how to roast chestnuts , how to season and store them – for a quick, easy, and delicious festive treat! These easy-peel roasted chestnuts are nutty, creamy, tender, slightly sweet, and about to become your new favorite Christmas snack! Whenever I think of roasted chestnuts, I think of being wrapped up in a coat and scarf while I meander Christmas markets, nibbling on the tender treat....

Recipes › DIYs How to Separate Egg Whites and Yolks (2 Methods) By Samira Kazan published October 23, 2020 Two simple methods for how to separate egg whites and yolks at home: one with a slotted spoon/spatula, and one with a plastic bottle. You’ll never struggle to separate eggs again! If you’re someone who enjoys baking (or wants to begin to enjoy it), then it’s inevitable that you’ll come across recipes that require separated eggs....

Recipes › Sides Perfect Stovetop Jasmine Rice By Samira Kazan updated November 14, 2024 Learn how to cook jasmine rice on the stovetop perfectly every time. Use only 1 1/4 cups of water per 1 cup of rice to get fluffy and light jasmine rice time and time again. For me, perfectly cooked rice maintains the individual grains and is slightly chewy, ever so slightly sticky, and, of course, fluffy and soft....

Condiments Quick Gyoza Sauce (Dumpling Dipping Sauce) By Samira Kazan updated November 06, 2024 This gyoza sauce is savory, tangy, slightly sweet, with a hint of spice – perfect for serving as a dipping sauce for potstickers, dumplings, gyoza, and wontons! All you need is 8 ingredients and a few minutes to prepare this dumpling sauce recipe! I have shared recipes for homemade mushroom dumplings and dumpling soup (after posting my method for homemade dumpling wrappers ), so what do you need next?...

Recipes › Mains Quick One-Pot Pasta By Samira Kazan updated October 16, 2024 For a weekday dinner that’s ready in less than 20 minutes, there’s nothing like my one-pot pasta recipe. It’s quick, easy to make, and packed full of fresh veggies. Getting your five-a-day can be affordable and delicious with my super quick pasta recipe, packed full of delicious veggies and a rich tomato sauce. It’s a great way to use up leftover produce or pull together an easy dinner when you haven’t got a lot of time to cook....

Condiments Raising Cane’s Sauce (Copycat) By Samira Kazan published May 31, 2024 My Raising Cane’s sauce recipe uses a few simple ingredients to make the perfect copy of this Southern chain’s sauce. Enjoy it with chicken tenders, fries, burgers, and more! For those not in the know, Raising Cane’s is an American fast-food restaurant chain that started in Louisiana. It sells chicken tenders, among many other southern staples. It takes particular pride in its Raising Canes sauce, which is made in-house....