laurkamkitchen

[laurkamkitchen]

Using up the last of my tempeh here!

I made roughly a third of this using parsley, quinoa, lettuce, and some harissa hummus. I took the cauliflower, chickpeas, and tempeh out after only 15 minutes in the convection oven, as everything else was already done, but they probably could have used another 2-5 minutes.

It may be that I went a little heavy on the lettuce, but I wasn't super impressed by this. It was just a little too bland. Out of the hundreds of bowls I have saved, this is not one that I would rush to remake.

[laurkamkitchen]

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve indulged in a good Thai peanut sauce, and this recipe offered not only that, but a great way to use up half a head of cauliflower.

I halved this recipe using one mini gem lettuce as well as spring onion and fresh coriander to top. I was glad this recipe called for a whole small head, as a lot of the time with these lettuce wraps, they want you to use, like, two leaves and then you have to figure out how to use up the rest. I did think about using sesame oil here, but because it’s so high heat, I thought it best to stick with olive, which might have been the right call for the roasted veg, but really couldn’t have elevated things with the stir-fried tofu.

I honestly don’t really have a ton of notes to add on the cooking process here, as it was honestly pretty straightforward for me. I didn’t have to add that much water to my peanut sauce, and while my tofu did take a while to brown, that was really no problem.

When I went to serve, I made the mistake of doubling up on my lettuce, creating little encased sandwich-like wraps rather than leaving them open. It probably did make this less messy, but definitely decreased some of the flavor due to just too much lettuce. And I ended up having a ton of the veg and tofu filling left over, which I ended up just polishing off straight out of the bowl but totally could have gotten through with the lettuce if I had done single-leaf wraps. I will say that you do kind of have to stretch the peanut sauce here; I definitely could have used a little more and, if I ever remake this, I’ll definitely be sure to adjust my proportions appropriately.

Overall, though, this was a great little recipe, one that involves a lot of my favorite ingredients and flavors. Definitely a cauliflower keeper for sure.

[laurkamkitchen]

I love a good stuffed sweet potato, and it’s been probably a year since I’ve had one, so I went on my archive to see what I could find to satisfy this sudden hankering I had. This recipe just sounded perfect, combining so many of my favorite ingredients, including red bell pepper and a good tahini sauce. I had originally planned to make this alongside my big batch of curried parsnip soup, but I couldn’t find any sweet potatoes that day and had to opt for something else. As soon as I was able to locate one, however, I set out to make this, and it honestly was so worth the wait.

I quartered this recipe but did just go ahead and use a full stalk of green onion because halving one seemed pretty lame. It was steam city in my kitchen while the onions were cooking and did set off our fire alarm, so that’s just a warning there, although I think it more had to do with the gas stove/saucepan combo I was using than anything else.

I did have to add more water during the simmering process, but that’s a common problem I run into when cooking smaller proportions of grains. My sweet potato wasn’t quite ready by the time the filling had finished, so I just switched off the heat and let it sit for a bit longer, which I think actually did wonders for the fantastic cook I got on my grains.

I will say that I slightly rushed things here and took my sweet potato out maybe 10 minutes early. I had stuck a knife in a spot that seemed particularly tender, but when I went to slice open the whole thing, I realized it definitely could have used a few more minutes. It was tender enough, however, and so I just went ahead and served.

This does take a while but really only because the sweet potato needs so long. And like I indicated before, this recipe is worth every effort. This was so incredibly delicious and just wholesome in a way that I needed. I genuinely might go ahead and make this again next week because I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since dinner last night. It was just that good.

[laurkamkitchen]

I've had my eye on this recipe for quite some time now — it has everything I could ask for in a dessert bite, including plenty of protein!

I halved this to make six bites using cashew butter, regular Greek yogurt, and mini chocolate chips. My cookie dough was perhaps a tad dry and might have benefitted from a splash or two of milk, but I didn't want it too sticky, so I forged ahead.

While this doesn't call for an in-between freeze, I went ahead and placed the assembled cookie dough scoops in the freezer for a few minutes while I tidied and switched laundry. Unless you're truly pressed for time, I don't see any reason not to do this — it just makes the chocolate dipping process so much easier.

Channeling my recent truffle-making experience, I didn't think there was enough melted chocolate here to truly coat all six bites, so I ended up dipping both the tops and bottoms of each, leaving the sides slightly exposed. This was much easier than a full coat and allowed the chocolate to stretch farther.

I hate to say it, but, though I did still find them delicious, at the same time, I thought these were rather disappointing. I love a medjool date, but even that component coated in chocolate, wasn't quite as satisfying as I thought it would be (perhaps just not as good frozen). The cookie dough was also not especially notable, though I wonder if it had been slightly less dry and if I'd used peanut butter (I'm not a huge fan of the cashew butter we currently have), it might have turned out better.

Not to say that these aren't delicious — perhaps I've just been looking forward to them for too long! Still a delicious treat and a different, fun concept that was worth trying.

[laurkamkitchen]

This has just shot to the top of my all-time favorite salads list! It was unbelievably good, full of flavor and texture. I already want to make it again.

I quartered this using the lesser amount of olive oil (I don't like my dressing to have too strong an olive flavor, unless it's for something Mediterranean) and the maximum amount of kale. For optional toppings, I toasted 2 tablespoons of pecans and added a tablespoon of dried cranberries.

I'm honestly surprised that more salad recipes don't encourage you to smash your avo in with your kale. I do this for my own salads, and it truly is a game-changer.

The tempeh came out perfectly crisp, the sweet potatoes were delectable, and everything together was pure perfection. The toasted pecans truly put this over the edge. I love, love, love this recipe!

[laurkamkitchen]

I think it’s only fitting that my first ever post on this blog, and the first recipe I’ve made this year, is this chia pudding. I have made this so many times now that it’s probably the only recipe I no longer need the instructions for (although it does help that they’re pretty straightforward).

I usually end up making a half batch of this, although I do keep the cinnamon and vanilla amounts the same as the full because, well, I love cinnamon and vanilla and they give this such great flavor.

The original recipe calls for fresh blueberries as a topping, but I’ll typically only add them if they’re in season, leaving them out and opting for other fruit that is, either as a topping or on the side depending on what it is.

The original instructions call for you to blend the initial ingredients, but I’ve found that if your almond butter is runny enough, a little whisking will still do the trick.

The same goes for adding almond milk upon consumption; when I make this at school, where the almond butter brand I buy tends to be more runny, it’s not usually necessary, but at home, where it tends to be much thicker, I usually add a lot and then stir. At the end of the day, it’s really all about personal preference and experimentation.

[laurkamkitchen]

It’s been a bit since I’ve made spring rolls — I’ve been craving them lately, and after discovering this particular recipe had miso in its dressing, I was so in.

These are different from spring rolls I’ve made previously in that they’re not super springy or summery, but actually rather autumnal in their ingredients. I loved this combo, though; they really are a classic combination, worked well in the wrappers, and totally came together with that unbelievable tahini dressing.

My oven, of course, always takes forever to heat up so I had plenty of time here to prep everything else while I waited on it; in the end, the sweet potatoes ended up taking probably the full 25 minutes.

I took about ¾ of this recipe for myself and ended up using six of my smaller rice paper wrappers. I don’t know if I’m just getting better at wrapping these, or if the texture of the kale did most of the work, but these were relatively easy to make and fold compared to other ventures I’ve undertaken in the past. I loved that the dressing was incorporated both within the filling and available for dipping without; I ended up with a significant amount leftover, but I was so not complaining, and honestly ended up eating the rest by itself with a spoon.

I loved that these were a little different, and they honestly combined so many of my favorite things and were so delicious that I know I’m gonna have to make them again soon. And I honestly may remake the dressing on its own next time I’m in need of a batch for my salads, as it really was unreal. All in all a successful spring roll venture.

[laurkamkitchen]

A super simple lemon tahini dressing!

I made this in full using rather clumpy honey in lieu of the maple syrup, so I ended up adding quite a bit of water to get it to the consistency I wanted. This did make it slightly more bland than I would have perhaps preferred, but overall, no complaints here. This was quick, simple, and yummy, exactly what I was looking for.

[laurkamkitchen]

Last night we had the cutest little sushi dinner in our house, and, of course, I don’t eat sushi without shrimp sauce, so I had to find a way to make my own.

I roughly quartered this recipe and didn’t realize until later than I had only added ¼ cup mayo rather than the ½ I should have, but honestly I think it turned out way, way better. Here are all the proportions I used, more or less:

1/3 cup vegan mayo (gives it a lighter texture than regular mayo would, I think)

1/8 cup ketchup

slightly less than 1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

¼ tsp onion powder

¼ heaping tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne

1/8 cup water

½ tsp sriracha

The result was probably the best shrimp sauce I’ve ever had in my life. I thinking making it ahead of time and letting the flavors marinade for a bit in the fridge was totally worth it, even though I normally would have skipped that step.

Quartering made plenty for our purposes, with just enough left over for me to maybe serve with a frozen veggie burger and some homemade fries later this week. And the next time we make sushi, I will totally be referring back to this.

[laurkamkitchen]

Even though I do love my go-to hummus recipe, I decided to mix it up for this batch since I have leftover rose harissa paste that needs using up. This recipe calls for regular harissa, which does have a stronger flavor, but I thought the rose gave it the perfect little amount of kick.

In terms of other ingredients, I just used a can of chickpeas rather than 2 cups cooked, which I think is close enough. I liked that this recipe called for so much lemon juice, as I like that in my hummus, and, of course, I wasn’t going to make a hummus recipe without tahini in it, as I true believe that’s the secret to the good stuff.

I wasn’t blown away by this recipe by any means, but it was still a solid venture into hummus making and served exactly the purpose I wanted it to.

[laurkamkitchen]

Surprised I haven't tried this one before now! This was a simple, classic bowl dinner.

I halved this using spinach since that's what I had on hand, but I can definitely see where this would be enhanced with the arugula. Thanks to the convection oven and the high heat, my chickpeas turned out perfectly crispy.

I wouldn't say this recipe is particularly notable, purely based on how simple it is, but there's also something to be said for that simplicity. For a quick, yummy bowl, it was overall excellent.

[laurkamkitchen]

I think it’s only fitting that my first ever post on this blog, and the first recipe I’ve made this year, is this chia pudding. I have made this so many times now that it’s probably the only recipe I no longer need the instructions for (although it does help that they’re pretty straightforward).

I usually end up making a half batch of this, although I do keep the cinnamon and vanilla amounts the same as the full because, well, I love cinnamon and vanilla and they give this such great flavor.

The original recipe calls for fresh blueberries as a topping, but I’ll typically only add them if they’re in season, leaving them out and opting for other fruit that is, either as a topping or on the side depending on what it is.

The original instructions call for you to blend the initial ingredients, but I’ve found that if your almond butter is runny enough, a little whisking will still do the trick.

The same goes for adding almond milk upon consumption; when I make this at school, where the almond butter brand I buy tends to be more runny, it’s not usually necessary, but at home, where it tends to be much thicker, I usually add a lot and then stir. At the end of the day, it’s really all about personal preference and experimentation.

[laurkamkitchen]

I love, love a good Buddha bowl and this recipe has become one of my go-tos, mostly because it combines some of my favorite staples: Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and tahini.

The maple tahini sauce is absolutely to die for; even though I halved this recipe last night, I still made a full batch of the sauce so I could use it on my salads. I do like a runnier consistency, as I find it easier to mix and spread the flavor, so I usually probably end up adding about ¼ cup or more extra water here.

Even though the baking time is a bit long, the rest of this recipe is super easy and super simple and usually takes me right at an hour; those 50 mins of cook time are well worth the wait.

[laurkamkitchen]

A new roasted brussels sprouts recipe! We just happened to have some hoisin and gochujang on hand, so this seemed like a perfect pick.

I had 3/4 lb of sprouts to use and roughly estimated everything else based on that proportion. The sauce made a lot more than I really needed, so I think I could have quartered it and been totally fine. I went ahead and just mixed the sesame oil in with everything else.

I was using the convection oven here and totally left these in for too long, but they were still delicious, though I always forget how much spicier things are once cooked!

Since I did overdo things a little, it's difficult to compare this to the many other roasted sprouts recipes I've made, but I will say that these caramelized beautifully and with relatively little effort.

[laurkamkitchen]

I'll say it right off the bat — I think this is a new favorite salad recipe! Not only does it feature some of my favorite ingredients (roasted sweet potato! smoked paprika! sun-dried tomatoes! tahini dressing!), but it combines such a delicious array of flavors and textures that I think make it totally unique.

I quartered this but had already made the dressing in full (using vegan yogurt) for a chickpea pancake dinner Nimrah and I had shared a few nights before. Trust me, if you're making this, you will want that dressing in full — it is richly delicious with just the right amount of zestiness and spice.

The sweet potato oven time gave me plenty of time to get the other components ready, so this was really pretty simple and effective overall. I'm struggling to frame my praise in ways I haven't already above, but do know that this combination of flavors and textures is truly to die for.

This will absolutely start reappearing on the blog I hope relatively frequently. It is just so delicious, and I am so thoroughly here for it.

[laurkamkitchen]

Remake 13/3/25: Can't believe it's taken me two and a half years to finally remake this! It truly is delicious, especially with the right kind of salsa. I once again made my own polenta, using 3/4 cup dry.

I added this to my shortlist in line with Remus’s desire to get more into polenta, as I thought it sounded like a fun combination of some of our favorite things. 

We made this in full using 4 eggs and real cheddar. I cooked the polenta myself using roughly 125g uncooked and about half a liter of water, mixing the garlic, salt, and pepper straight in before pouring and smoothing it all into our cast iron skillet. With everything else premade, this was a super easy process, and 25 minutes was all it needed in the oven.

Personally, I thought this was delicious. I was worried the salsa I had bought was going to be too spicy, but the blandness of the polenta, the beans, the eggs, and the avocado balanced it out beautifully, giving it just a hint of spice. 

Remus, however, did not like it at all. I think for him, it was more of a texture thing; it turns out that polenta is just not his favorite. We ended up with quite a bit of this leftover, sans the eggs, which I suppose I’ll have to eat up at some point. I’d be willing to make it again for myself, but definitely not when Remus is around.

[laurkamkitchen]

This was my final, successful attempt at using up that huge batch of brown rice that I made. A good fried rice is by far the best way to use up old rice, so this only seemed fitting!

I made this in full using locally caught shrimp. It was overall pretty easy, as fried rice should be, but admittedly not my best work. I think the rice at this point was just too old and dry, and I definitely overcooked the shrimp, which I'm still getting used to working with.

But doused in plenty of extra soy sauce, this was just fine. I'd definitely be willing to remake it with a fresher batch of rice to actually do it justice.