Vegan BBQ Sloppy Joes (with Creamy Coleslaw)
Memorial Day Weekend is upon us, which means one of my FAVORITE food seasons is here! I’m a July baby, which means I was put on this earth for burgers, corn on the cob, peaches, pasta salad, BBQ chicken, and vanilla cones. I’ll just be here absolutely blissed out until October, when it all becomes pumpkin-flavored (and then I’ll still be blissed out).
Something else I love about summer food is that nobody cares if you look like a hot mess eating it – in fact, the messier the better. Barbecue sauce all over your fingers is the ultimate sign of happiness. Ice cream dripping down your arm is adorable. Corn in your teeth is the essence of beauty. Summer is (literally) dripping with nostalgia. Unfortunately, a lot of summer food (and barbecue food, specifically) isn’t inherently plant-based. I myself am not vegan, but I do strive to eat sustainably – and I believe strongly that plant-based eating should not be a barrier to delicious, nostalgic food. This recipe is an answer to that.
Heirloom Tomato & Fig Salad
The end of summer is upon us, and it’s bittersweet. Now that Labor Day Weekend has passed, many of us are resuming regular work or school hours, putting our beach supplies back in storage, and saying goodbye to cookouts and rooftop bars. But even if you do work normal hours all throughout the summer, there’s something about that post-Labor Day feeling (i.e. today, right this very second) that’s just kind of a bummer. But it doesn’t have to be.
I LOVE this time of year. It marks a transition from not liking how my violin strings sound 75% of the time (#gutstrings #humidity) to thinking they sound pretty okay 75% of the time. It means that soon, I can stop worrying about maintaining a pedicure and get my cute boots on until at least March or April. And soon, I can go apple picking and make ALL THE PIES!! But for now, it’s still technically summer for another month, and all of the perks that come with crisp, cool weather aren’t here yet. So how can one really make the most out of this weird, transitional SummerFall? Two words: fresh produce.
Sesame Chili Potato & Cucumber Salad
As much as I like to think I keep it current with internet phrases and memes, more often than not I am actually embarrassingly out of the loop.
Exhibit A: Until a quick Google search about 5 minutes ago, I literally had no idea what a “hot girl summer” was, why everyone has been trying to have one, or where the phrase even came from. Even now though, I only have a vague understanding of the criteria. Does it require having a tan? If so, I’m automatically disqualified. But does it involve cooking in an air conditioning-less kitchen on a 100˚F day and questioning every life choice I’ve ever made? Then I guess I’m nailing it.
Chorizo, Corn, and Burst Heirloom Tomato Frittata
Hey strangers! Are you EVEN surprised that I disappeared again? I’m not. Womp. The last time I posted was right before heading off on tour to New Zealand. That was three months ago. Omg. MONTHS.
I’ve been MIA a lot recently, but between the tour + vacationing in Australia + performing in Oregon + (some more) vacationing in the mountains + (even more) performing at home in NY + finally getting into spinning, I’ve been busy this summer. Especially that last part. Time flies when you’re trying to look cute holding in cardio burps.
Mini Apple Crisps (Vegan/GF)
sum•mer (n): the existential struggle between wanting to be in shape and wanting to shove ALL THE FOOD INTO YOUR FACE
You know the feeling. Summertime finally hits, and you’re ready to hit the beach and show off that bod you’ve been working on. But two weeks in, you’ve had a few too many margs and entirely too many s’mores and then you realize you haven’t even hit the vacation part of your summer vacation yet and you’re like “HOW DID THIS HAPPEN” and then you end up eating more s’mores and it’s all just kind of a mess.
I know this feeling well. A week ago, I got back from spending over two weeks in San Francisco (um, hi, TONS of amazing food) at the American Bach Soloists Academy. It was a wonderful experience, but I definitely ate WAY too much. As in, I literally ate ice cream every day. And I mean literally, literally.
