Broccoli Rabe Pesto {Gluten Free & Vegan Friendly}

This delicious pasta dinner is filled with healthy veggies!

As I mentioned yesterday, Brendan and I have been drowning a bit in fresh produce this week thanks to our CSA.  Not that I’m complaining.  There is no such thing as too much produce to use; it just means I have to get a bit creative with how I use it.  Because let’s be real.  We live in a small apartment, with one average-sized fridge.  And with a huge bag full of broccoli rabe taking up one of our shelves, the rest of our fridge was getting sort of cramped.  To top it off, this is the week that we’ve barely been home for dinner.  Thanks to end-of-the-school-year madness, we’ve been running around to awards ceremonies and graduations.  On the bright side, we’ve been fed at each of these events!  On the down side, I haven’t had the opportunity to cook and was starting to fear the longevity of our vegetables.  So I decided to do something different and use up the broccoli rabe in a way that I knew it would stay for a while: pesto!

Sweet Potato, Kale, & Lentil Skillet {Gluten Free & Vegan Friendly}

With fresh ingredients from my CSA, this skillet dinner is a perfect way to use all those fresh veggies!

I don’t know what you guys think, but so far June has been a bit of a let down weather-wise.  Between ceaseless rain and temperatures that refuse to creep into the 70s, I have been pretty disappointed.  I mean, is 85 and sunny really that much to ask for?  Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Caprese Pizza {Gluten Free & Vegetarian}

With fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and a balsamic drizzle, you just know this Caprese Pizza is going to be amazing!

It’s no secret around here that Brendan and I love pizza.  From delivery to homemade, we aren’t too picky.  Throw some sauce and cheese on a crust and we’re happy people.  Lately, though, our favorites have been our from scratch creations.  Even though we didn’t get to a pizza of the month in April (darn morning sickness…), we were back on the wagon in May with huge success!

Minted Pea Soup {Gluten Free & Vegan}

With spring peas and fresh mint, this soup is a great combination of tasty flavors!

As regular readers of the blog are probably aware, I love soups and stews.  Seriously.  When I can throw everything into one pot and call it dinner, I am a very happy girl.  I’ve also made it abundantly clear that I love summer.  None of that cold weather crap, thank you very much, I’ll take sweltering temperatures any day of the week.  But these two facts leave me with a bit of a conundrum.  In the summer, the last thing I want to eat is a big bowl of hot and hearty stew.  And yet, I still love it…so what’s a girl to do?

Red Cabbage & Apple Summer Slaw {Gluten Free & Vegan}

This side dish is a perfect way to dive into summer!

Now that Memorial Day has passed, I’m officially in the summer mindset.  I rocked my maternity bathing suit for the first time yesterday, and am so ready for long days lounging on the beach.  I don’t know about you guys, but in addition to sunshine and pool time, summer to me means a change in food.  Fresh, light foods with a focus on vegetables.  Nothing too heavy (with the exception of ice cream sundaes), and happy, colorful salads.  This dish definitely fits the bill (minus the ice cream…)

Cauliflower Mac & Cheese 2.0 {Gluten Free & Vegetarian}

Cheesy and creamy, yet still relatively healthy, you can’t go wrong with this cauliflower mac and cheese!

Cauliflower mac and cheese is definitely a favorite in our house.  Seriously, every time I say that I’m going to make it Brendan gets a little bit giddy.  We scarf it down at dinner time, and fight over the leftovers for lunches throughout the week.  From what I gather, this is one of the dishes he brags about when he’s eating it in front of his coworkers and/or students.  Hey, I’m not going to complain.  I like that my cooking is appreciated.

Thai Vegetable Quinoa with Spicy Peanut Sauce {Gluten Free & Vegan}

Full of veggies and flavor, this Thai Quinoa Bowl is bound to become a staple on your dinner table!

As I mentioned last week, Brendan and I have been on a bit of a healthy eating kick lately.  While lentils have become a total staple in our kitchen, I can’t neglect my tried and true quinoa.  It may be a bit pricier than the dried beans I buy, it’s just so freaking tasty and versatile!  Last week, we knew we wanted quinoa, but Brendan requested “something different.”  That didn’t really give me a lot to go on, but hey, I’m always up for a challenge.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread {Gluten Free & Vegan}

Slightly spicy and mildly sweet, this vegan zucchini bread is a great way to use up extra zucchini.

I don’t know about you, but our freezer is sort of a black hole.  I’m not exactly sure how it happens, but something will be placed in there, and get sucked into the void that is our freezer.  It sits quietly in the back until one day the entire contents of the freezer explode into an avalanche of mildly frost-bitten foodstuffs.  An over-sized bag with a lone fish stick, a pint of ice cream with a mere spoonful left, something brown and unidentifiable that causes Brendan and I to look at each other with raised eyebrows and a hint of concern…  Anyway, during my freezer’s latest purge I discovered a bag of shredded zucchini remaining from last summer’s CSA haul.  And since our CSA is due to start up again any time now I figured it was probably a good idea to use up the last of the remaining goodies from 2014.

Buffalo Lentil Lettuce Wraps {Gluten Free & Vegan}

Lentils, celery, buffalo sauce…yeah, this is my kinda dinner!

Recently, Brendan has been on a bit of a health kick.  Instead of eating the donuts sitting around the faculty room at school, he’s trying to make a conscientious decision to make smarter food choices.  One of the things he’s been big on is better carbs.  Rather than going carb-free, he’s been wanting smarter, multipurpose carbs.  You know, things like lentils, and beans, and quinoa instead of white rice and a side of fries. Believe me, it hasn’t taken much convincing to get me on board with this plan.  I mean, seriously: I get to make all of these fun dishes that I love and he really wants them too?  Okay!!

Puebla Chicken Chalupas with Chorizo Beans {Gluten Free}

Cinco de Mayo done right: Puebla Chalupas with Chorizo Pinto Beans!

Over the course of writing this blog, I’ve made it pretty evident that I like to experiment in the kitchen.  From my forays into vegan baking to my quest to cook around the world, I’m not afraid to try new things and push myself out of my comfort zone.  So when Cinco de Mayo came up, I knew I needed to up my game from beef tacos or an enchilada casserole.