You guys!!!
​ I made a COOKING video! 

I am SO excited to add this feature to my recipes and what better recipe than my Soy Glazed Meatloaf!

​This delicious creation came about kind of randomly. I never really made a meatloaf before and wanted to make something that didn't have tons of tomato.(#acidrefluxproblems)

I love Asian flavors of soy sauce, sesame, garlic and ginger...I have my Peanut Soy Glazed Meatball recipe and my Spicy Peanut Tofu and Green Beans, so this was a natural fit for my recipes!

I based this recipe on those meatballs, with a few tweeks to make it simpler!

Way back when (about 6 years ago), I was in my senior year, about to graduate college with a degree in Political Science and Sociology, planning on "taking a year off" and then applying to law school while planning a career in politics. 

Then one day, I decided to ask a friend of mine, who kept a vegan and gluten free diet, what he ate. He handed me a book ("Meat is For Pussies") and I finished it THAT day, along with cutting out all meat from my diet.

That moment is what catapulted me into wanting to learn about nutrition, and understand food and how it impacts our bodies..

Although that book was intriguing and made me rethink the role food had in my life, becoming a Registered Dietitian has allowed me to learn how to differentiate between ideas and scientific evidence, which is an important distinction to make when making choices about our diet.

Although I do eat meat regularly, plant based diets have been found to have great health benefits for many chronic illness, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and lipid disorders. It tends to be high in fiber, low in saturated fat and can be incorporated in a healthy way.

So why am I telling you all this?

Well, at the time that I was a vegetarian, I started buying a vegetarian sausage made by Field Roast. I recently decided to try it out again and decided to add in some veggies.

And out came this INCREDIBLE and flavorful veggie stew. The field roast sausage is made with wheat gluten and TONS of spices, it breaks down beautifully in the sauce and provides so much flavor to the veggies that you don't need to add anything extra but a little salt.

This is NOT an ad, nor sponsored by Field Roast. I just really love how it flavors this stew/sauce!

I also tried this with chicken sausage and it was delicious too! It definitely needed extra seasoning however, depending on the type of sausage you get.

​Let's get cooking!

Love&Grub! How I've missed you...
It has been several months since my last recipe post. I've been moving and shaking, planning a wedding with my other half, and just all around adjusting to our ever changing world. 

I've been doing some Love&Grub soul searching and am so excited to be back and bringing you my thoughts and recipes!

If you follow me on Snapchat or Instagram (if you dont --> get on it! @loveandgrub) you know that just because I haven't posted a new recipe does not mean I have not been cooking. 

And if you do follow me on said social media accounts, you know that there is one veggie that I have recently been OBSESSED with!

Can you guess?

Drum roll please......

Green beans! 

Okay, I know it's not the most exciting vegetable to suddenly become obsessed with well into my late twenties, BUT I just never really cared for them before.

And l though steaming veggies allows them to retain more nutrients and fiber, generally speaking, I am not usually a big fan of how they taste.
I prefer my veggies roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper.

 However, I tasted steamed green beans at work one day and I was seriously hooked! I buy the steamable bags and either eat them, literally straight of out the bag, or toss them in this ridiculously good sauce, like this tangy, spicy peanut sauce!

Before we get into it, I want to talk about black vinegar, which I searched near and far for.
​I found it in an Asian super market but was unable to find it anywhere else locally. It has a malt flavor, slightly tangy and a little sweet. I realize not everyone has the time or desire to go searching, so I found this substitute ratio which I also included in the ingredient list below!

Shall we get cooking?

 Happy November!

We are merely days away from Thanksgiving and I don't know about you, but I am SO excited!  However, I know that this feeling is not always mutual. For those looking to make healthy lifestyle changes, facing a holiday meal (and all the desserts) can be intimidating. 

Always remember, this is ONE day. Practice moderation, having little bites of everything and try filling up on some veggies! If you're hosting, experiment with vegetable recipes, or bring one with you if you're attending. And ENJOY it. Enjoy the food, practice the Love&Grub mentality so you don't feel deprived. But don't forget to respect your fullness. Allow yourself to be present in the situation and enjoy your family time. 

And, you can even bring a fun little bite sized dessert...my Pumpkin Pie Mini Dumplings!  This month's Recipe Redux theme is all about healthy holiday desserts and these are just PERFECT.

I once saw a cooking demo that showed how to use yogurt and flour for dough. I've always wanted to try it ever since but couldn't remember what else she may have added. So I just tried adding the two together and it worked!

​It's kind of amazing. 

Do you HAVE to make dough? Absolutely not! These can also be made with puff pastry or wonton wrappers. The baking time may need to be adjusted, but definitely worth trying!

Let's get cooking!

By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Wild Blueberries and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Hi Love&Grubbers! 

I am here to present to you this WILD creation, made with salty feta, baked to golden perfection and topped with a sweet wild blueberry compote. I know what you're thinking, "what in the...? Has she gone off the deep end this time?"

I know, it's a weird combo but when you think about it, sweet and salty has BEEN going together beautifully, for basically forever...chocolate covered pretzels, salted caramel, you name it! Plus, I'm sure you've at least seen one menu item in your life that had a salad with blueberries and feta. They go together like peanut butter and jelly! 

You get the picture.

Plus, with the holidays coming our way, I've been wanting to make something that can be served as an appetizer for all the family and friend get togethers.

​So when the Recipe Redux challenged us to come up with a recipe highlighting amazing, wild blueberries, I knew I wanted to something that can be served as a dip.

Enter: the amazing Baked Feta with a Wild Blueberry Compote.

Oh, and did I mention this recipe only has FOUR ingredients?

So you're probably thinking, what is the difference between wild blueberries and regular blueberries?

1. Wild blueberries tend to have a more intense flavor than regular blueberries
2. Just one serving of Wild Blueberries (about 1 cup) have 8 times the manganese, 72%
more fiber and 32% less sugar than cultivated blueberries
3. Wild blueberries have two times the antioxidant capacity of larger cultivated blueberries

Basically, they are jam packed with nutrients and super delicious. I was even snacking on them frozen right out of the bag. 

What makes them wild? Well, they aren't planted, rather they occur naturally in barrens and fields in Maine and Eastern Canada that have been here for 10,000 years. Pretty awesome.

You're also probably wondering where on the Earth can you get these amazing little berries?

You can find them in the frozen fruit section of your local grocery store, just have to make sure the package says "Wild Blueberries" on it, and you are good to go!

Delicious, packed with so much goodness along side salty feta.

​Let's get cooking!