Tasty Teff

I grew up dining upon rice at least once a week, perhaps more, so it is with great displeasure I have ceased consumption due to alarming high levels of arsenic. If you follow me you know I’m a quinoa queen but am also open to trying new grains. East African teff, which I had previously…

Salsa Cruda

Let’s make this quick, just like the recipe. Cruda translates to “crude” in English meaning unmilled, not refined nor processed. In salsas, the crudeness refers to the ingredients as they are raw and roughly chopped not blended like most other salsas. With that said, Salsa Cruda is assuredly more approachable than Sonoran Salsa but I…

Black Bean Burrito

Even though it’s been raining for about 12 hours, Spring is lingering in the air. The days are getting gradually longer and ever so subtly warmer. The sunlight is beckoning us to come outside and hang awhile. With that said, I am moving out of soup mode although not everyone in the house concurs. Nonetheless,…

Robin’s Ramen

Although you never need a reason to enjoy comfort food, Harvey Weinstein and the potential death of the #MeToo movement is my rationale today. Years ago a co-worker told me that when in a hurry, her Vietnamese mother would sometimes use instant ramen to make a quick dish. Intrigued, I pressed her to explain. “Use…

Navy Beans

When my mother was growing up in Mississippi, lunch was called dinner and what we know as dinner was supper. Dinner, served around noon was the heaviest meal of the day. Quite a few European, Central and South American cultures still follow similar meal patterns, especially those that enjoy a siesta. I went to college…

Red Beans & Tri-Color Quinoa

When Mayor Pete Buttigieg introduced The Douglass Plan it made me question why he thought naming his project to benefit African Americans after a 19th century antebellum icon was a good idea. The name alone demonstrated Mr. Buttigieg had not consulted any African Americans during the devising of his plan. Fredrick Douglass was an elder…

One Minute Spinach

As we watch whatever semblance of democracy we once enjoyed evaporate into the polluted atmosphere, we still need to make sure we our bodies are properly supported and nourished. So, let’s shift the heat from the politicos in Washington back into the kitchen by putting a spotlight on spinach – a vegetable with a storied…

Quinoa Italiana

According to Whole Foods Market and Forbes Magazine, West African cuisine is one of the top ten food trends for 2020. No surprise to me because some of the best food I have had in the world was in West Africa – Cote D’Ivoire, Nigeria and Ghana. Not only is the food delicious, but the…

Perfect Peach Cobbler

I did make a Peach Cobbler for the Christmas dessert table. All you need do is follow my Vegan Blueberry Cobbler recipe but add peaches, fresh grated ginger and nutmeg in addition to the butter (or vegan butter if you prefer) and sugar. I don’t add a lot of sugar because I want the natural…

Creamy Cushaw Squash

Indigenous to Africa, squash is a treat that both my Grandmothers truly enjoyed. Cushaw, a slightly sweet winter version is a winner because it is one of the foods my sensitive stomach never resists. Brimming with Vitamins A,B,C and Carotene you won’t go wrong pairing Creamy Cushaw Squash with fish, fowl or lamb. Creamy Cushaw…