Friday Favorites with My New Roots

I'm always inspired by the super talented food blogging community, so I decided to start a series—Friday Favorites—where I will ask some of my favorite food bloggers to share their favorite food. No recipe required. So make sure to check back each Friday to see a new favorite by a blogger I admire.

First up is the lovely Sarah B. from My New Roots. I remember when I first stumbled upon her beautiful blog, and felt like we had so much in common. Every recipe looks and sounds perfect. I love her witty writing style, easy-to-understand nutrition tips, and oh-so-healthy-yet-delicious recipes. I mean just look at that raw cashew dream cake and her parsley root fries!

So Sarah, what's your favorite food?

Image courtesy of My New Roots

Thanks for sharing, Sarah!

Edamame guacamole

Avocados have been on my mind lately. If you caught my tweet a few days ago, I've been thinking about growing them. Apparently you can start from the large seed that you usually discard when you cut open the fruit. I always felt bad about tossing the golfball-sized seed.

Today is the perfect day to celebrate this healthy fat, plus they are usually on sale at your local grocery store (they were at Whole Foods this morning). What's your favorite way to eat an avocado? I love avocado slices with lemon juice, sea salt and pepper. Sometimes I eat alone or mashed on a piece of toast for breakfast.

I grabbed a few avocados this morning and whipped up a big batch of guacamole at lunch. This isn't just any guacamole, but I added 3/4 cup of cooked edamame for a protein kick. The usual ingredients that give guacamole it's signature flavor—avocado, cilantro, tomato, red onion, serrano pepper, sea salt, pepper, cumin, lemon and lime juice—are still included.

Enjoy with tortilla chips or spread over lavash (or stuff a pita) with crunchy veggies like I did for a simple lunch. Yum.

How are you enjoying the holiday?

Spring, a balancing act.

This time of year my diet switches from warm to cool. We tend to eat heartier, cooked meals to keep us warm in the cold of winter. When temperature becomes warmer, our bodies want lighter, refreshing meals that are often raw or chilled to keep us cool. I mean really, who wants to turn on the oven in 90 degree weather? While the temperatures in spring and fall are not as extreme as winter and summer (especially in the South), our diet becomes more of a balancing act, a mixture of cooked and raw dishes.

Spring casts a green hue over the earth and is visible at the farmers market. Asparagus appears as do pea shoots, lettuces, spinach, leeks, green onions and a variety of herbs. Salads begin to fill my fridge instead of hearty soups or tamale pie. Chilled bean salads become a regular on the dinner table. The flavor changes based on the herbs and vegetables available at the market that week.

A few weeks ago, I made this soup and had leftover dill oil in the fridge. I decided to add a spoonful into a salad of chickpeas, celery and avocado. The dill oil mixed with lemon and parsley adds a pungent kick to this chilled salad. The crunch of the celery is nice contrast with the creaminess of the avocado chunks. Enjoy this refreshing salad over a bed of lettuce or spinach. It's easy to pack and eat on-the-go for lunch at work or for a lazy weekend picnic.

Chickpeas, celery & avocado with dill oil
1 can chickpeas, rinsed (or 2 cups cooked chickpeas)
4 green onions, sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1/2 c parsley, rinsed and chopped
juice of 1 lemon
zest of half a lemon
1 big tbsp dill oil
dash of sea salt
grind of cracked pepper

Pour the chickpeas, onions, celery, avocado and parsley into a large bowl. Mix together the rest of the ingredients in a smaller dish before mixing into the chickpea salad. Refrigerate for an hour or two, so the flavors will meld before serving. Enjoy!

A new favorite

Last Friday was my 27th birthday. I enjoyed it with awesome friends and delicious food. I was also given this amazing cookbook. If you don't know Heidi by now, you should. Her blog is so inspiring, and I believe it's the first I ever read (and still read). I have her first book, but the second has quickly become a favorite. Delicious vegetarian meals, hearty enough for meat eaters and simple enough for anyone to make. She doesn't use many ingredients, but the ones she does are high quality, often local or available at farmers' markets.

She includes a recipe for roasted tomatoes that inspired this impromtu salad last night. I had a carton of cherry tomatoes that were begging to be baked in a sea of olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. I foresee making this recipe a lot as tomatoes start to take over the markets this summer.

I tossed the tomatoes (and their yummy juices) with black beans, avocado, shallot, parsley, celery, lemon and lime juice. Perfect for a day when the temperature almost reaches 90 degrees. I can't believe the heat and humidity of NC summers are almost here. This Sunday is the first day of May!