Sansa’s Lemon Cakes (sans wheat)

I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud of how a new recipe came out. With the debut HBO’s Game of Thrones season three quickly approaching, I realized I had to get working on converting a recipe. For those of you who haven’t read the books the that epic, soap-opera like fantasy is based on,...

Lentils with pasta

So we’ve reached that strange part of spring, where one day the weather will tease us with warmth, and the next day you’ll wake up to icy rain. Or snow. This time of year, I’m always a little stuck on what to cook. I’ve been cooking soup all winter, casseroles are getting boring... But it...

Spinach pie, take one (spanakopita)

Oh, spinach pie: the ultimate veggie-friendly Midwestern comfort food. Spinach pie has always been there for me, at Kerby’s lunches with family to late night after-bar visits to Plaka’s in Greektown. Simple, filling and delicious, I could always count on the pie to be there on an otherwise meat-heavy menu. Until I realized that gluten...

Orzo with Greek tomato sauce

This has been a good week for impulse buys. During a Kroger run, I noticed a small package of orzo— with the charming words “gluten-free” on it. Another Greek favorite that I’ve missed after leaving wheat behind, I scooped it up immediately. Now, I had a mission: re-create the orzo I’ve had in various restaurants...

Mushroom buckwheat soup

I was wandering the aisles of Zerbo’s in Livonia recently when I came across a bag of buckwheat. Despite it’s name, I know it’s gluten-free. Since it’s a grain I haven’t tried cooking with it yet, I impulsively bought some. Usually, I start with a recipe first— but now I just had an ingredient. Then...

Vegan loco moco

This food satisfies two cravings: to imagine I’m in a tropical place and to eat a pile of food. The answer? The loco moco. Loco moco is a Hawaiian dish, traditionally consists of two scoops of rice, a hamburger patty, an egg, all topped with brown gravy. Yes, it’s heavy! I saw this on a...

Three places to check out in Plymouth

I went in search of cupcakes and returned with fresh coconut juice and a tasty sandwich. After finding a gluten-free bakery in Plymouth, Rumi’s Passion Gluten-Free Bakery, I decided I needed to check the city out. First on my list was Drought, an organic raw juice shop that carries freshly-pressed, delicious fruit juice. The coconut...

Vegan New Mexican breakfast burritos

After making one of my favorite comfort foods, New Mexican inspired breakfast burritos, I decided I needed to make a vegan counterpart. I wanted to recreate the same satisfying flavor of the original: melty cheese, spicy chile, rounded out with potatoes and tofu. Though it’s the most common recipe in vegetarian cookbooks, I’d been avoiding tofu...

Vegan cheese (made without soy)

This recipe floored me. This cheese is so easy to make— and very, very tasty. And since it’s main ingredients are cashews and spices, it seems healthier than something very processed. When I first thought about making vegan cheese, I figured it was super crazy complicated, would require kitchen equipment I couldn’t afford and take...