Assorted boxes of chocolate are my kind of Russian Roulette. It’s fun inspecting the various chocolates, and narrowing the options down to your select few. The nerd in me especially loves when they’ve included a printout with pictures and descriptions to help you decide. Okay fine, I’m realizing this barely qualifies as Russian Roulette...given the...
Posts
Vegan Tom Yum Soup
This Vegan Tom Yum Soup is fresh, flavorful, and healthy. The broth is spicy, sour, and full of umami—thanks to lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves. It's worth a trip to your nearest Asian grocery store to get the ingredients. Because, this soup is so refreshing and delicious! So much so that we crave it year...
Veggie "Pulled Pork" Nachos
There are few dishes that can bring a crowd together better than a big plate of nachos. When that tray of piping hot chips comes out from the oven, it has this magnetic draw that pulls everyone in. It seems like nobody can resist chips and cheese. Nachos make for a great dish to bring...
Healthier Homemade BBQ Sauce
When it comes to store-bought barbecue sauce, I’ve never been able to find the one. Most bottles contain plenty of liquid smoke and other unpronounceables. And then, there’s the sugar. The average barbecue sauce contains a shocking amount of sugar. For mainstream grocery store brands, that’s typically in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. And...
Salted Caramel Banana Bread (Vegan)
Banana bread is one of those treats that you never grow out of loving. As a kid, a slice of banana bread tucked into my lunch bag was just as good as winning the lottery. And even after all this time, I still get excited about it. There’s nothing quite like cozying up with a...
Vegan Pad Thai Sauce (4 Ingredients)
When travelling through Southeast Asia after university, I literally ate my way through Thailand. From noodles, to curries, to mango rice puddings. YUM. And obviously, Pad Thai was heavy in the rotation. Like many Thai dishes, Pad Thai features a tried and true combination of salty, sweet, sour and spicy flavors. Back at home, it...
Spring Roll Salad with Peanut Glazed Tofu
I’m going to be honest. This recipe initially started as actual salad rolls. I’d volunteered to make them as an appetizer for a dinner with lady friends. Obviously, I terribly underestimated how long they’d take to prepare. So there I was, at home, rolling rice paper furiously...when what I really should have been doing was...
Vegan Caesar Salad with Shortcut Roasted Garlic
Caesar Salad is probably the most universally loved salad. Like a lot of mass-appeal “healthy” foods, it kind of rides the line between healthy and unhealthy. With a Caesar Salad, you can feel good about eating a salad, without eating one of those salads. You know what I mean?! Either way, there’s no denying the...
Vegan Meatballs with Mushroom Miso Gravy
Ironically, my obsession with meatballs started after I stopped eating meat. My very first boyfriend was Swedish, and stereotypically, the dude loved meatballs. Christmas dinners at his family home usually meant there’d be at least a few Swedish dishes on the table. Things like potatoes or pickled herring - but most definitely, meatballs. At the...
Maple Sriracha Brussels Sprouts
These roasted Maple Sriracha Brussels Sprouts are simple, yet packed with flavor. Maple syrup and sriracha make a balanced sweet and spicy glaze. And, the sauce gets sticky and caramelized in the oven. It's so good! During the holidays, vegetable side dishes are often underwhelming. Thankfully, these brussels sprouts are anything but boring! They're crispy...
Chocolate Chai Pot De Creme
My first encounter with “pot de creme” was in high school. I was working a part-time job at a fancy tea store - and in exchange for university savings, I learned a ton about tea. And because tea is only made better with food, we also sold heaps of delicious treats, all stacked beautifully in...
Citrus Ginger Black Rice Salad
After my fifth trip to the store, in search of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, I was ready to admit to a surprising realization. Grapefruit is one of my favorite fruits. I know, I know...of ALL the fruits out there (including some pretty sexy ones like mango, pineapple and raspberries), I pick a boring grapefruit. And...
Seared Halloumi with Tomato and Fresh Herbs
Much like getting re-acquainted with a childhood best friend, summer is the time of year where my love for Halloumi cheese comes out in full force. This sturdy, squeaky cheese is pretty addictive, let me warn you. And unlike a lot of other cheeses, Halloumi can hold it’s own under the heat. Since Halloumi is...
Blackberry Cheesecake Popsicles
Summer is full force over here, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s been particularly hot and humid these days, so every chance we get, we’re trying to cool down with jars full of smoothies, scoops of ice cream and jugs of iced tea. At the market the other evening, I was (not surprisingly) on the...
Potato Parsnip and Leek Soup with Chive Gremolata
Mother’s Day is coming up and coincidentally, I happen to be further away from my mum than I’ve ever been. Anguel and I are frolicking in Greece right about now, but thankfully my mum and I got to spend a great day together in the kitchen just before leaving. I think she was mostly there...
Salted Dark Chocolate Pretzel Cookies
Mixing pretzels into my cookies, isn’t something I would have done a couple months ago. I tend to reserve bagged convenience store treats for rare moments of indulgence (or weakness...call it what you will). Safe to say: it’s not exactly the ingredient that begs to be nestled into homemade vegan and gluten-free cookies. But as...
Sesame Spiced Edamame
Why you should make this recipe Edamame might be something you forget about until you're at a sushi restaurant. But it's so easy to make, you should enjoy it at home more often! Frozen edamame is quick cooking, extremely versatile, inexpensive, and high in protein. This spicy sesame edamame has saved me on more occasions...
Spicy Cauliflower Nachos
For the past few years, we’ve always spent Super Bowl Sunday surrounded with the most epic of feasts. I’m not a big football fan (sorry), but Anguel’s friends host a Super Bowl party every year and it's not one to miss. The food is excessive and the laughing barely stops. This year’s shaping up a...
Vegetarian Mushroom Stroganoff (One Pot)
We've been making this easy Vegetarian Mushroom Stroganoff for years. It's hearty, comforting, and a crowd-pleaser. Perfect for meatless dinners! This is a weeknight friendly one pot recipe. Cooking the noodles directly in the savory mushroom sauce gives the noodles extra flavor as they cook. And, it means less dishes and clean up. So the...
Gingerbread Cake House
On Christmas day, many years ago, I tried my hand at baking for the first time. It was the early 90’s and the Easy Bake Oven was in its heyday. That morning I unwrapped this shiny hunk of plastic, with enough hot pink detailing and well-placed stickers to convince any kid that this was the...
Vegan Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
Anguel doesn’t ask for much, but when he wants something, he really goes for it. Take the past few weeks for instance. The dude’s been on my case to develop a new dessert recipe. He asks, and he asks often. Like, every single day. Not kidding. At first, I gave him some sass (exactly like...
Mushrooms on Toast
I’m slowly becoming more of a morning person. Trust me, nobody is more surprised than yours truly. When it comes to mornings, I realize it’s the little things that count. Like getting to bed at a semi-reasonable hour, preparing breakfast/lunch the night before, and stocking a line-up of podcasts for the drive into work. In...
Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
Learning to be proud of my half Chinese, half French heritage is something that I’ve honestly had to grow into over time. Growing up, it wasn’t something I was amped about. Half?? Why couldn’t I be a whole of something?! Back then, it meant feeling like I never fully belonged to either side. It meant...
Veggie Pot Pies with Crispy Potatoes
I’m bundled up in my thickest socks and have no fewer than two blankets wrapped around me. The wind is howling outside and the rain is pelting our windows. It’s been like this for a couple days now. By the time it’s over, Vancouver will have had three storms rip through the city in a...
Caramel Apple Sticky Cinnamon Buns
A couple weeks ago, Anguel and I hopped on a ferry and rode it over to Vancouver Island for an impromptu weekend trip. The last time we’d visited the island was just over two years ago. Back then, we were on an ambitious mission to hike the 50 mile long West Coast Trail. Due to...
Easy Pesto Egg Muffins
I’m not going to lie, mornings can be a bit rough for me. I’m a night owl by nature, so my mind is often whirring away in the late hours of the evening. Sometimes I can just shut it down and get to bed at a (semi) reasonable hour. Other times though, I just need...
Pulled Jackfruit Banh Mi Sandwiches
The long weekend is coming up here in Canada and I couldn’t be more excited! Back in the day, this holiday was always an important one. It marked the last hurrah before school - a final reminder that my carefree days would soon begin with a 7:30 am wake-up. Summer camp, beach days, and daily...
Grain Salad with Fresh Lemon and Herbs
Lately I’ve felt like I hit the ‘fast-forward’ button, on life. These last couple weeks have been a real whirlwind as I settle into my new job, meet plenty of new people, and familiarize myself with all the possible routes to-and-from work (because, traffic). And at the same time, I’m still trying to squeeze out...
Vegan Rocky Road Ice Cream Cake
It's the blog's birthday! Natural Girl Modern World is officially one year old. Wow does time fly. When I hit 'post' on the very first recipe last year, I had no idea about what we were getting into. At the time, I was just pumped that I'd figured out how to sign up for a...
Avocado "Ceviche" and Chili Lime Chips
The first time I tried ceviche was in Chicago. And before you write me off for associating ceviche with Chicago, I should probably start by saying it was prepared by a pretty legit restaurant. Like, legit enough to win a James Beard Award and a nod from the Michelin Guide. The point is: it was...
Heirloom Tomato Tart with Gluten Free Crust
I've got some pretty exciting news. Come next month, I'll be starting a new job! The change has me saying goodbye to an amazing team that I've worked with for the last handful of years (sad face). Although at the same time, I'm really looking forward to joining a stellar crew in my hometown of Vancouver....
Best Vegan Tzatziki
This creamy Vegan Tzatziki is delicious, easy to make, and really versatile. We've tested a lot of different plant-based tzatziki sauces over the years. While many recipes rely on store bought plant-based yogurt, the truth is that every brand varies in taste and texture. So, we don't bother using vegan yogurt when making the best...
Greek Collard Green Wraps with Tzatziki
This week has flown by in what's felt like a single blink. Anguel and I spent the end of last week on the other side of the country (for work stuff), and I think it was the mid-weekend flight home that put me all out of whack. On the upside, we had a couple wonderful...
Zucchini Pappardelle with Roasted Tomatoes and Basil
Do you do things that drive your partner crazy? Little quirks that inevitably buzz around their head like a fly on a hot summer day. That's a rhetorical question by the way…because of course you do. We all do. Just ask Anguel, he'll tell you all about my quirks. Actually, maybe don't. Although, either way,...
Summer Succotash over Grilled Jalapeno Polenta
We're in full-on summer mode over here: the garden is brimming with veggies, the patio furniture is out, and we've been enjoying plenty of outdoor meals with family and friends. Dinners recently have been all about advanced prep and limited on-the-spot 'kitchen action' – because when everyone is chilling on our patio, the last place...
Berry Tarts with Lemon Vanilla Cream
Anguel's parents are flying into Vancouver in a few days and we couldn't be more excited. As we prepare to play tour-guide for the next week or so, we've been thinking a lot about our favorite things to do around Vancouver. We'll take his parents on day trips to places like Whistler and and the...
Creamy Farro Risotto with Greens
Food tastes best when it's made with love. And this past weekend was the perfect example. I had the opportunity to get together with my favorite gaggle of girlfriends (and guy) for a potluck-style dinner. And get this. The hosts requested that everyone bring a dish from the blog. Our blog! Anguel and I were...
Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream Pizza
Father's Day is around the corner - and I'll bet you my dad doesn't even know it. He's not a big believer in what he calls the 'Hallmark Holidays'. And to this day, I don't know if it's more to do with his aversion to shopping or because he's truly a non-conformist at heart. Over...
Red Rooibos Tea "Sangria"
When you're out in the sun all day, staying hydrated is no easy feat. I always find it helpful keeping plenty of drinks chilling in the fridge – that way, everyone is so much more likely to drink an extra glass or two. Most days, I stick to water. Plain and filtered. But in the...
Scrambled Eggs and Herbed Goat Cheese Toast
I spent a lot of last week getting up to the most random things. In the process, the house got a bit (okay, a lot) more cluttered than I'd like. I skipped yoga for the entire week. And frankly, I didn't spend too much time in the kitchen. It was one of those weeks. They...