This soba noodle dish might be just what you’re craving right now. It’s fresh, vibrant, and bursting with springtime produce, including carrots, sugar snap peas, and cilantro. Tender, nutty soba noodles complement the flavors in this unexpected pasta salad. Edamame offers plant-based protein, making this dish a hearty pack-for-lunch option.

Homemade ginger-sesame sauce brings this recipe together. I love combining veggie “noodles” with real noodles for a more balanced meal. This dish contains more veggies than noodles. It’s light and just right!

I’ve enjoyed this recipe since I originally shared it in 2014, and I’m hoping these new photos entice you to try it if you haven’t already.

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I’m sure you’ve heard, but it’s been a cold week. Cookie and I are getting cabin fever after being stuck inside for so long. We’re pretending that the outside world isn’t covered in snow, but the bright white light bouncing back inside betrays our denial. It was only one degree outside when I took Cookie out on Monday night. I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered such cold before, but it honestly didn’t feel much colder than any other below-freezing temperature. Maybe it’s because I was properly dressed in my ugly puffy coat and thick gloves.

It’s funny that temperatures are so relative. I mean, one degree is undeniably cold to us human beings, but I like to imagine the thoughts that come to mind after a mention of such cold temperatures. I suspect that everyone in Southern California wonders why on earth a person would endure such coldness, and the Minnesotan readers are all, “Ha! One degree is nothing. Try minus fifty.”

I’ll tell you why we choose to live here, in the middle of the country. We don’t have mountains or ocean, but we do have affordable rents, manageable traffic levels and very nice people. Kansas City is both a practical and beautiful city. You should really come visit so I can show you around.

I’m also super excited to take further advantage of the cheap rents and move into a charming little house next month. It’s going to cost me more, but not more than a shoe box-sized room in San Francisco. (Dear San Francisco readers, I’d like to visit soon.)

I’ll finally have a kitchen disposal, a reasonable amount of counter space and a built-in dishwasher, not to mention a bathtub to soak in. And finally, Cookie will have her own yard! A two-bedroom house seems a bit excessive for one person, but I really do need the space for my work. So I’m moving soon, selling out for the suburbs and a nearby grocery store. Yes!

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I’ve been a total grandma lately. Case in point: I’m currently sitting in my living room under a crocheted blanket and a snoozing lap dog. Cookie makes a fine laptop stand. My other grandmotherly activities of late include polishing silverware, tending to my houseplants, mending my chambray shirt and baking cookies. I can’t decide if I want to pick my knitting needles or golf clubs once all my things are in order.

A few Saturday nights ago, I stayed in and spent the evening testing roasted eggplant techniques. Good grief, I’m 27 going on 70! Salted vs. unsalted, halved vs. cubed, skin on vs. peeled. I decided on unsalted, cubed and peeled. You’ll see that I didn’t completely peel the eggplants in these photos. I wanted to verify my peeled verdict (ok, I was being lazy) and later regretted it.

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I’ve been holding out on you guys. It’s about time we talked coconut bacon. I don’t remember where I first encountered coconut bacon, but I do recall being struck by how much it tastes like real bacon. (You know I have a major weakness for bacon, right?) The savory, smoky-sweet flavor of maple syrup, tamari soy sauce and Liquid Smoke tossed with toothsome coconut flakes turns into vegan “bacon” once baked. It’s really the only “meat substitute” that I support. I’ve been perfecting my coconut bacon for a year now, batch by batch, and I think I’ve finally got it down.

Late last summer, after making a test batch of coconut bacon, I threw together a kale salad with tahini dressing, added some beautiful slices of ripe tomato, and tossed in a handful of coconut bacon. Holy moly, it was good. So good that I added it to my list of recipe ideas as, “holy moly raw kale BLT salad with garlicky lemon tahini, coconut bacon, heirloom tomato…”

Then last week, my friend Alissa sent me home with a few drop-dead gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, fresh from her backyard garden. I went home and happened to reach for some spices in my pantry while wondering what to make for this week’s recipe. That’s when a bag of coconut bacon fell on my head and plopped onto the counter. Things are always falling out of the cabinets or refrigerator in my teeny tiny kitchen. This time, however, it was a fateful fall, and here we are with a holy moly raw kale BLT salad.

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Busy busy busy busy bzzzzz. That’s how I’ve been feeling lately. Juggling work deadlines and freelance projects, yoga class and happy hour, dinners with friends and family. Feeling busy can be overwhelming at times, but I feel unusually energized by my full calendar. I’d guess that the spring in my step comes from connecting with a few more friends in this new city. It’s nice to feel more connected with the community at large.

This recipe exemplifies how I eat when I’m busy, or really, how I eat all the time. I’m generally only feeding myself, so it’s hard to justify pulling out all the stops for every meal. I like to keep a big bowl of leftovers in the fridge and find that I’m only motivated to cook again once I’ve emptied it. It begs mentioning that I’ve consumed almost every serving of every recipe on this blog. In other words, these are dishes that I’ve tasted for days in a row and believe are worthy of being cooked in your kitchen.

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This simple kale and Brussels sprout salad features a creamy tahini dressing coating crisp green leaves. It’s savory, satisfying and almost slaw-like in texture, thanks to the crunchy raw Brussels sprouts and slivered almonds. Parmesan and a dab of miso take it to the next level, though the miso isn’t entirely essential if you don’t want to buy a tub.

This hearty salad is perfect for winter through early spring. I’ve struggled to find my default tender greens lately since they’re out of season. Kale and Brussels sprouts are cool-weather crops, so it’s their time to shine!

Serve this salad when you’re craving something healthy. It’s easy enough to make on a weeknight, but it could also serve as a supporting role in a holiday meal or special dinner. Since kale and Brussels sprouts are so hardy, the dressed salad stores well in the fridge for a few days.

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This miso noodle soup is fresh, light, and filling all at once. It’s the perfect soup if you’re craving a warm, bright meal or feeling under the weather. Most soups need at least 30 minutes on the stove to develop full flavor, but not this one. This soup is ready in half the time.

This recipe is not traditional Japanese miso soup, which typically features kombu (dried kelp), wakame seaweed and silken tofu. If you’re looking for the delicious miso soup you enjoy at Japanese restaurants, try this one at Just One Cookbook.

This recipe is an abstract option that includes miso and tofu (extra-firm) but not seaweed. It features spaghetti noodles and fresh vegetables, including bell pepper, snow peas and carrots. It’s generously seasoned with ginger, green onion, toasted sesame oil and soy sauce.

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