Cooking Tips | DanaSlatkin.com

Cashew Cheese with Chipotle

04/01/2013 By Dana Slatkin Leave a Comment

Here’s a lovely serving suggestion from chezbettay.com

...adapted from Heirloom Catering. Spring 2013 is sure to be a defining moment in our country’s history. As our Supreme Court grapples with the legal boundaries of marriage, I find myself thinking about my own margins of acceptance. When I was a kid, I gravitated to the familiar. It was comforting to eat the same foods every day, to be with friends who had similar backgrounds and personalities, to cling to routine. But as I get older, I find myself wanting to try the untried. I crave new tastes, new ideas, anyone and anything that’s out of the box. Maybe that explains one of my new infatuations. It’s rich and creamy, part cheese, part spread, with a smoky pep. And it’s just a little unconventional. This quirky vegan recipe … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Dairy-free

Nigella’s Cinnamon Almond Cake

03/22/2013 By Dana Slatkin Leave a Comment

adapted from (Clarkson Potter 2013) Nigellissima, Easy Italian-Inspired Recipes Find Nigella’s original recipe here. Every so often I’ll stumble on a recipe that is just what I needed, exactly when I needed it. This is one of them. Around the time of my birthday last month, one of my friends knew how much I idolize Nigella Lawson, the eloquent and stunning television host of “The Taste” and deservedly successful cookbook author. When Nigella was signing her latest tome, Nigellissima, Easy Italian-Inspired Recipes, at a Williams-Sonoma in Orange County, my friend waited in line for four hours to have her autograph a birthday gift for me. That night, I read my new cookbook cover to cover. I marked dozens of pages with sticky … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Dessert Recipes

Banana Bread with Coconut, Oats and Flaxseed

03/19/2013 By Dana Slatkin 1 Comment

< taget="_blank" href="http://www.tastykitchen.com">Tastykitchen.com

Did anyone catch last weekend’s SNL episode where Justin Timberlake rocks out as a lovable block of tofu? “No meat, c’est chic!” he raps. It was one for the Vegheads. And this Farmgirl couldn’t be happier to have J.T. in her corner. But while I’m thrilled tofu has made it into our national zeitgeist and plant-based diets are hip again, mass-produced soy nuggets and energy bars aren’t going to make us any healthier. We know that avoiding processed foods and eating lots of whole foods prepared from scratch will make your body happier (and will probably buy you a few more years on your lifeline). But can you pull off a clean diet while living life in the fast lane? Absolutely. The solution is not at a take-out counter or … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Kitchen

Pan-seared Tandoori Fish (or Tofu) with Mint Chutney

02/25/2013 By Dana Slatkin 2 Comments

Last week, something happened on the way to my latte. I was reaching for my favorite white chocolate powder, which I always stir into my coffee, when I noticed the ingredients on the label. Well, sort of. Squinting to read the microscopic words (yes, I’m now that age), I realized I couldn’t pronounce any of them. It dawned on me that I had been greeting each day with a scoop of chemicals. After resolving last month to try and eat less c.r.a.p. (chemicals, refined sugar, artificial ingredients, and processed foods), I had been tanking my best intentions every morning. Bummer. Did I have to dump another indulgence down the drain? I peeked into my cupboards, scrutinizing the boxes of food I had stocked simply out of habit, convenience, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fish Recipes

Get Fresh, Get Lean: Get the Recipes

02/11/2013 By Dana Slatkin Leave a Comment

Ashley Koff is an internationally renowned registered dietitian on a mission to improve the health of people across America. A self-described “Qualitarian,” Koff advocates eating the best foods available, choosing natural and organic foods over machine-made, and whole foods over processed. Koff regularly appears on national television programs, including The Dr. Oz Show, The Doctors, and national and local news programs. The author of Mom Energy: A Simple Plan to Live Fully Charged (Hay House; 2011), Ashley is currently a contributing editor for Natural Health Magazine, on the advisory board of Fitness Magazine, and a spokesperson for several national brands, and writes for several blogs including The Huffington Post. She has a thriving … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Kitchen

Get Fresh, Get Lean Cooking Classes to Start the New Year Right!

11/28/2012 By Dana Slatkin Leave a Comment

Get fresh, get lean in 2013! The Farmgirl is back in the kitchen with 3 classes you won’t want to miss… Light + Healthy Italian with Giacomino Drago of il Pastaio Thursday, January 17, 2013 10 am – 12 noon Giacomino Drago is an executive chef and partner of Il Pastaio. The Drago brothers own several restaurants in the LA area. Chef Drago creates the perfect meal from the freshest ingredients available at the market. I ♥ My Heart Delish + Easy Heart-Healthy Cooking with Ashley Koff, R.D. Thursday, February 7, 2013 10 am – 12 noon Ashley Koff is an internationally renowned registered dietitian on a mission to improve the health of people across America and beyond through raising public awareness … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Events

November Giveaway

11/03/2012 By Dana Slatkin 1 Comment

Comfort cooking kicks into high gear this month, and we want you to be prepared! The Farmgirl is giving away this half-sheet silicone liner from Silpat so your roasted veggies and cookies won’t stick. It goes straight from the oven to the dishwasher, facilitating browning and helping to prevent scorching. To win, sign up for weekly recipes, cooking tips and foodie fun in the “Subscribe box” to the left, or (if you are already a subscriber), send in a comment here. The winner will be notified by e-mail on December 1. Congratulations to the winner of the October Cooking Contest, Courtney Sander of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her Chocolate Coconut Almond Clusters have been getting rave reviews! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cooking Contest

Curried Popcorn

12/21/2011 By Dana Slatkin Leave a Comment

During the holidays, spontaneity rules in my house. Absent the relentless school routine, the last days of the year take shape organically, as a true vacation should. The only rules? No rushing or stressing allowed. But I confess to being a little challenged on vacations. Though the break from lunchboxes and dinner parties is welcome, this Farmgirl needs to keep busy. Too much time away from my kitchen and I start to get disoriented. So here’s my method for vacation reorientation…invite a steady stream of drop-ins, have a ready stash of party-food, and exhale. This popcorn was a big hit at last week’s holiday cooking class. The recipe is based on one by Aarti Sequeira (the Food Network’s endearing Indian … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Snack Recipes