Motion — Cynthia Groseclose

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Carrot, Ginger & Turmeric Sauce | Black Lentil Salad with Steamed Asparagus, Carrots, Radish, Almond Milk Ricotta, EVOO, Cilantro, Green Onion & Spices | .

One of the first things you learn in culinary school is the importance of a good sauce. So many things go into making a good dish, but a great sauce can take things to a whole other level. .

I decided to do an Instagram cooking school with plant-based sauces because sauces don’t just make great dishes, but they help make cooking a healthy and delicious meal at home doable with even the simplest ingredients. .

I created my sauces to be really big on flavor and as clean as possible, so you can also feel good about the few spoonfuls you ate before it made it to your plate. .

I also created my sauces to serve more than one purpose. You can strain for a smoother more elegant sauce that could double as a dressing (pictured) or you can skip the straining and have a more rustic looking sauce that could also be a spread. .

From start to finish, this sauce took me just under an hour. You can make it ahead or prep on the weekend, store in a jar in the refrigerator and use hot or cold. .

I’m getting ready to load all the details in stories, so be sure and check it out. I also included the dish I fed the rest of my house that isn’t plant-based using the same ingredients and just adding a protein. So not cooking two meals because no one has time for that.

Laid-Back Saturday Mornings | Healthy-ish Blueberry Clafoutis .

I have a lot of conversations with people who want to give up sugar, but don’t think they can because of how challenging it can be thinking about all of the things it seems like you’d have to give up and I get this. So, I like to challenge myself and my creativity in the kitchen with how I can slightly alter some of my favorite things to make them fit with the way I want to eat and live. Because the truth is, so many sweets that people love can be made refined sugar-free and even made vegan with just a little creativity and a few small tweaks. .

One of the things I love most about making a clafoutis is how simple and easy it can be to make healthy-ish (vegan too), but still looks beautiful and elegant and the kind of breakfast/dessert you could quickly make if you were having people over. .

Clafoutis is typically served as a dessert, but I made mine to be a sweet breakfast option with lots of organic steel cut oats and blueberries, a dusting of arrow root + coconut sugar instead of powdered sugar. I also sweetened it with maple syrup instead of sugar. I didn’t write a recipe for this, but have a few basics to share that you could use with almost any simple clafoutis recipe. .

The Basics | Cook’s Notes : • your favorite berries - dark cherries are classic. • any nut, oat or soy milk you like.
• eggs or for vegan- chia egg.
• maple syrup • vanilla • coconut butter
• flour, almond flour or @bobsredmill gluten-free all purpose baking mix.
• arrow root powder + coconut sugar
• bake at 325 for 35-40 minutes or until golden.
• lots of people like to cook in cast iron because reheating is easy.

I’ve been cooking a lot this week working on client recipes for @lecreuset and squeezing in plant-based sauce recipes to share here. Sunday feels like a good day to share the first sauce, so be on the lookout. .

I often think about how even though I’m a chef, my challenges with time and energy to cook healthy, holistic meals at home are just like anyone else. And I think the fact that I sometimes struggle with this (which totally frustrates me at times because I feel like I should have it together) has been part of what has fueled my wanting to create solutions with creative, simple, holistic plant-based meals that any home cook can make and to share this food with others. .

One of my favorite things to make is homemade pizzas or flatbreads. Making dough (whole-wheat or gluten-free) is so quick and easy with a stand mixer or food processor and when I’m really on top of it, I like to make a few batches and keep them in my freezer. Then on nights like tonight when dinner will have to come from what’s in my pantry, I can plan ahead and thaw the dough in my refrigerator and it will be ready to make a quick meal. .

Just add pesto, greens, micros, preserved lemons and ricotta or almond milk ricotta like I did for this one. Or roast root vegetables or grill summer squash and top with fresh greens and micros (my favorites) right out of the oven. A splash of EVOO, a sprinkle of sea salt, a squeeze of lemon for a little acid... it’s really all you need to make everyone happy with a minimal amount of time and you’ll feel good about the food you are putting in your body. For me, the key is lots of vegetables and greens with a touch of unexpected flavor.

photo | @pfephoto

Grilled Zucchini & Habanero Spread (and a few quick thoughts on digital minimalism) 🌱 | Well, I had planned to start my IG cooking school sauce series today (see my last post), but I gave myself a pass last week while my son was on spring break from cooking and being connected and I have to say... it was awesome (hope you guys understand). After listening to a @drmarkhyman podcast with Cal Newport (his TEDx talk is great) on digital minimalism, I’ve really been focused on being intentional with the way I use my own. I’m working on finding my sweet spot with it all. We are all kind of in unknown waters managing our digital lives and I’d love to hear how you find balance with needing to be connected/disconnected at times. .

In the meantime while I work on our sauce recipes for this week, I thought I would share a simple way to make snacks/appetizers more creative with easy plant-based spreads. As much as I love it, I can get very bored with hummus and pre-prepared healthy dip/spread options are pretty limited. .

I started creating spreads by roasting or grilling vegetables and then puréeing them (sometimes adding chickpeas and sometimes not), with herbs and spices. This is one I created with grilled zucchini, roasted garlic, basil, habanero and little lemon for brightness. Serve with seed crackers, crudité or grilled naan or you could even use as a sauce or base on a sandwich. .

Would you like the recipe? Comment below and I’ll share it on my site this week.
photo | @pfephoto

Last fall I put together a 3 day plant-based cleanse for people to dip their toes into trying plant-based cooking. I know the idea of eating plant-based can be intimidating for some. The question I hear the most often is how on earth do you keep things simple and creative, while not boring yourself (and maybe your family) to death. .
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I totally understand this feeling and I’ve created some ways to keep things fresh and exciting to help people who want to incorporate more plants into their cooking in creative, yet very simple ways that any home, time-crunched cook can handle. . 〰️ .

I’ll be hosting a little Instagram cooking school starting Monday April 1 and the first lesson will be in sauces. Sauces are such a great way to add flavor and can take a simple dish and make it something special. All next week I’ll be sharing 3 different creative (and simple) plant-based sauces I love to make and a few different ways to use them with different recipes, so be on the lookout. .
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And in the meantime if anyone would be interested in a 3 day plant-based cleanse, I’m thinking of hosting another one this spring. Just comment below or DM me if you would be interested in me putting one together. .

photo | @nickie_stone

Raw Matcha & Tahini Macaroons 🌱

I love this recipe because of the flavors and it couldn’t be more simple to make - raw with no baking involved. These bites have texture, a little sweetness and an unexpected brightness with a touch of lemon. Another recipe I created in collaboration with @capbeautydaily. A perfect little sweet bite (and with some health benefits). Recipe link in my bio.

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