Noshtopia

Fun Summer Salad Topping Idea: Chopped Green Grapes

One of my favorite summer fruits is grapes which chopped up make for a fun sweet topping for any leafy green salad. You could also do red grapes for even sweeter goodness.

Dinner Idea: Stir-fry Chicken and Chard With Beet Red Quinoa

After eating the beet red quinoa at Source, I was inspired to make some at home coupled with a chicken and chard stir-fry. I like the yin yang symbolism in the plate. Instead of white and black, I have red and green going on representing a plant flow of energy. See how metaphysical I go there for a sec?

Brunch: Egg Salad Smoky Maple Bacon Taco Sliders

Recently at Whole Foods, I discovered Mi Rancho Organic Corn Taco Slider Tortillas. They are 4" in diameter and are the cutest things. I've been on a taco slider creative binge lately. For brunch, imagine all the creative fun taco sliders you could make. The kids will LOVE these sliders!

Yes, You Can Have Your Bacon And Eat It Too: BLT Pink Beans Salad

Bacon is a great way to get people to try new things, and in a salad you can use bacon sparingly for flavor versus as a main dish on a plate. When I eat bacon, I always get nitrate-free bacon. Black Forest bacon would be a good one for this dish.

Organic Basil So Pretty It's In The Flower Section

I love how Whole Foods has the flower section in the front as you walk in the store. I was pleasantly surprised the other day when I walked into the Whole Foods on 4th in SF and saw organic basil mixed in with the other flowers. The smell was pretty incredible too!

Linkage: Because Rhubarb Is Such A Fun Word, Let's Make Some Pie With Strawberries

I like saying the word "rhubarb." It's fun and rolls off the tongue amusingly like "kumquat." In fact, I would name a pet rhubarb, maybe a cat or a bird.

Snackage: Vegan Chili Cheese Fries

It's snackage time, and who doesn't love some chili cheese fries?

Easy-bake: Cheesy Vegan, Gluten-free Chicken, Kale, Pasilla Pepper Enchiladas

I've been wanting to experiment with vegan enchiladas for awhile now, and happy to say that my experiment turned out really well. My carnivore dad wanted to eat these!

A Leaner Meatball: Chicken Quinoa Meatballs

I saw these beautiful creatures at Whole Foods Market in Walnut Creek. I love the idea of a leaner meatball. Instead of beef or pork, use chicken and add some Quinoa for even more protein.

Salad Bar Lunch Mashup: Sauteed Spinach, Quinoa, Carrots, Edamame, Black Beans and Green Onion

For lunch today, I created this mashup from the Whole Foods salad and hot foods bar. This is an example of assembly cooking at its best.