Cooking Light Archives

Waikiki Breakfast Salad and Easy Poppyseed Dressing

April 3, 2016 by Kristina Sloggett 12 Comments

Waikiki Breakfast Salad and Easy Poppyseed Dressing – a fresh, flavorful, and filling start to the day! Asian inspired flavors of the islands, every day!

I recently spent 10 days in Honolulu with my mom, soaking up the sunshine and eating fresh food. It took a couple days to adjust to the time difference – the first night I couldn’t get to sleep until past midnight, and still woke up at like, four in the morning.

Nothing a nap in the sun cannot fix, right?

We never really got past the early morning hours, though – always up by 5:30 or so. Most of our time on the island was spent at one of my favorite places, Embassy Waikiki Beach Walk. About two minutes to the beach, right in the middle of Beach Walk action and shops, daily cocktail hour and great breakfast.

I was able to find great plant based options at breakfast, and I ended up …

Vegan Vanilla Crescent Cookies

December 13, 2015 by Kristina Sloggett 11 Comments

Vegan Vanilla Crescent Cookies – perfectly sweet buttery richness in an updated, plant based version – free of dairy, eggs, soy, and gluten, and just as tasty as the original classic!

Do you have a favorite cookie? Like, all time favorite, a thing that began in childhood?

Crescent Cookies would be mine. Mildly sweet, buttery, simple. Like a soft, fluffy shortbread, covered in sugary powder. Mmm. Now they are Vegan Vanilla Crescent Cookies, and they are divine. Gluten free too, and still they have the same flavor and feel. Perfect.

When I was little, my mom had this baking cookbook. It had a recipe for a flour mixture, then each recipe called for a certain amount of that flour mixture. You had to have the flour mixture to make the recipe. We rarely baked from that book.

That is where her crescent cookie recipe came from.

I have a few favorite gluten free all purpose flour blends, so …

Crispy Maple Mustard Stuffed Potato Balls

December 6, 2015 by Kristina Sloggett 17 Comments

Crispy Maple Mustard Stuffed Potato Balls – a flavorful and fun food that works as an entree, side, or appetizer – you will want these all through the holiday season!

I lost count of how many times we made these Crispy Maple Mustard Stuffed Potato Balls in the last month.

While the concept of “leftover mashed potatoes” is foreign to me, I’ll gladly cook up a new batch of potatoes just for this purpose!

I recently made a new tangy sweet jackfruit recipe. When the …

Sweet and Spicy Cashews

November 22, 2015 by Kristina Sloggett 20 Comments

Sweet and Spicy Cashews – a tasty blend of sweet and savory for a warm snack or last minute party food – pop these in the oven all holiday season!

One of my favorite flight snacks is the warm nuts. I am like a kid, bouncing in my seat as I see them coming around… and then I eat all the cashews out of mine, passing the rest to Jason. He often offers his, which still has an equal blend because he is a normal snacker.

Our wordless headphone wearing airplane communication is understood…

I have such an affinity for these warm nuts that among some, I am known for it. My friend Arman even made a recipe for me. Okay, for Rosemary. *sigh*

In the weeks ahead, we will be hosting and attending holiday parties. While I cannot really …

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

November 11, 2015 by Kristina Sloggett 13 Comments

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes – this quick and easy mashed potatoes recipe is anything but basic – rich roasted garlic and flavorful olive oil bring a perfect bite!

Someone recently asked for holiday main dish recipes.

I realized a couple years ago that this recipe blog does not have any holiday main dish recipes. Now, I haven’t even shared my favorite holiday recipe – it is incredibly unique, incredibly awesome, and … just incredible. I may share it one day.

Holiday dinner for me have always been about the sides. Even before formally removing meat from the foods I eat, I rarely chose it. My holiday foods actually focus more on…

Smoky White Chili with Hatch Avocado Cream

October 27, 2015 by Kristina Sloggett 41 Comments

Smoky White Chili with Hatch Avocado Cream – rich and creamy, this warming chili has layers of flavor with a spicy kick, is satisfying and oh so comforting.

Smoky White Chili with Hatch Avocado Cream @spabettie

My favorite ski mountain had snow today.

I wore my tall boots for the first time this weekend.

and a scarf. I wore a scarf.

It is the time of year when Rosemary Dachshund doesn’t like to go outside, when all of the patio furniture gets hauled away for the season, when I take therapeutic hot baths nearly every night.

Did I say the mountain had snow today?!

Okay, it wasn’t a lot of snow, of course. But more is expected, and soon.

The long socks are chosen from the sock drawer. The tights are worn with skirts. The morning run is oh so cold, just as I like. Running in the early morning cold reminds me of high school, when I started running.

Holiday plans are already being formed (yep, I know). The cocktail cabinet now has more whiskey (YEP, I KNOW). The heat has replaced the …

Bright Lemon Raspberry Cookie Stacks

September 9, 2015 by Kristina Sloggett 22 Comments

Bright Lemon Raspberry Cookie Stacks – a vibrant flavorful update on a classically retro recipe – bright lemon cookies stacked with cool raspberry whip cream!

Bright Lemon Raspberry Cookie Stacks @spabettie

When I was a kid, there was a dessert my mom made that my brother and I always wanted.

That we sometimes were able to have.

She only made these desserts for her bunco group, or some other fancy party my parents were having or attending. I am talking about a very retro recipe – mini icebox cakes made from those Famous Chocolate Wafers. This is one of those oh so simple but fun and tasty desserts – as far as I can recall, it is wafer cookies and whip cream. Cookies and whip that gets to hang out in the fridge, stay cool, and soften.

Bright Lemon Raspberry Cookie Stacks @spabettie

So.

Today’s Vegan MoFo prompt is Most Retro Recipe. I immediately thought of those Famous Icebox Stacks. Then I looked for the cookies, found out they contain egg, thought well, I’ll make my own!

Then I started thinking about changing the recipe, of course. I thought of different flavors of whip, different kinds of cookies.

One day I may even make the chocolate version.

Another fun thing about this recipe is the use of a newish ingredient called…

Sweet Vidalia Onion Salad with Tangy Lemon Dressing

April 27, 2015 by Kristina Sloggett 29 Comments

Sweet Vidalia Onion Salad with Tangy Lemon Cream Dressing @Cooking_Light

Sweet Vidalia Onion Salad with Tangy Lemon Dressing – skillet charred onions and chickpeas take a tumble into a bright dressing in this perfectly simple salad.

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Portland has been riding a weather roller coaster for a few weeks – several sunny days up in the warm 80 degrees temps, then some rainy cool days, then back up to 80s.

Today we are predicted to see 82°F.

Nice.

Sweet Vidalia Onion Salad with Tangy Lemon Cream Dressing @Cooking_Light

Spring is definitely my favorite time of year, I am loving the longer days where we have daylight until nearly 9pm. The recent warm temperatures have me craving lighter foods already – salads as meals, salads with breakfast, salads all the time.

This is one of those unique salads without greens salads, and it is so very good. I have already made this twice, adding quinoa the second time. I may even add those salad greens next time.

Even with no greens – aside from the fresh oregano, which is lovely – this simple salad is …