a veg life

(posted by Emily) One of the best parts of my job here in LA has been learning more about the Hispanic culture. The kids and parents at my school take so much pride in their heritage, and it has been fun to learn about their food, traditions, and values. The moms would help out with lunch everyday have become great friends, and they are always sure to encourage me to step out of my comfort zone. When Rick and I made tamales in the fall, they were so proud of us--hilarious, and endearing. One mom in particular has been very supportive of our love of food, always buying kale chips from REfoods, and bringing in food items she thinks we would like to try. On Friday, she showed up to school with a bag of nopal or prickly pear cactus pads and was sharing with everyone. I was excited to try something new, and got 4 pads to take home. I have known about eating nopales for a while, having first seen something about grilling them on a Man vs. Wild-type TV show. We've gotten a few a...

(posted by Emily) After my post about the amazing Brussels sprouts at Gracias Madre , I was inspired to create my own version of a cashew cheese bake. It was a fairly simple dinner, with just a few elements put together. It did take a little planning, because of a few ingredients that needed some time to prep. I started by caramelizing some onions in my little dipper Crock Pot--it was the perfect size for one large onion. My friend Janet taught me about using the slow cooker to caramelize onions--it's a lot easier than on the stove, because the onions won't burn and you can set it and leave it! I drizzle the onions with a bit of olive oil and a splash of red wine. Because the little dipper isn't adjustable, I ended up letting the onions cook down for 24 hours. I also set aside about 2 cups of cashews to soak before I left for work in the morning. That way, they'd be nice and soft when it was time to make the cheese.  When I got home from work, I prepped ...