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limey cabbage cilantro slaw

Limey Cabbage Cilantro Slaw

finex cast iron skillet bread

Cast Iron Skillet Bread

radicchio fennel apple fall salad

Radicchio, Fennel, + Apple Fall Salad with Tahini Dressing

red onion quick pickles

Red Onion Quick Pickles

broccoli stalk and toasted hazelnuts

Roasted Broccoli Stalk with Toasted Hazelnuts + Lemon

roasted cauliflower leaves and lemon on a tray

Crispy Roasted Cauliflower Leaves

Chickpeas

Tender Lovin’ Chickpeas from Scratch

Summer Recipe Inspiration

cinnamon apple spelt cake

Breakfast, Sweet Things

Cinnamon Apple Spelt Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream

hemp milk and hemp seeds

Drinks, How-to's

Package Free 5 Minute Hemp Milk

radicchio fennel apple fall salad

Salads, Side Dish

Radicchio, Fennel, + Apple Fall Salad with Tahini Dressing

The latest recipes on Instagram »

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CAST IRON SKILLET BREAD 🍞 Love seeing all of th

CAST IRON SKILLET BREAD 🍞
Love seeing all of the homemade loaves in my feed lately. Lots of crumbs, dough, and slices to carry us through the next few months. There is an awesome feeling of self-sufficiency when make traditional staples by scratch. These practices connect us to our food and give us tools to be better prepared when resources run low. Making bread by hand is a vital way to empower yourself and your community. This cast iron skillet bread recipe is a regular fixture in our weekly routine (a few times a week, really!) It uses 3 simple ingredients you probably have on hand and is an inexpensive alternative to packaged loafs. Perfect for staying well fed at home.If you can track down a bag of flour (I like to do half all purpose, half spelt), yeast, salt, and water you’re in business. Share this recipe with your community to help them eat at home. It’s that easy to empower your people. Plus you can use whatever skillet you have on hand (just make sure there’s no plastic) if you don’t have a cast iron (this might be the time to invest though.) Link in bio! 
Try it out today and tag a friend! ✨
What are your favorite homemade loaves?? #closedloopcooking

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Red lentil soup with sweet potato + parsnip 🥄✨
New recipe live today on closedloopcooking.com! Making use of our plant-based pantry essentials with one of my favorite kitchen staples–red lentils. Lentils are an awesome item to have on hand, in an air tight container they last or months, they’re a great source of protein, and require no pre-soaking so you can whip them up in a pinch. Red lentil soup is one of my favorite meals, a comforting dish in times of uncertainty and easily customizable to work with what you have available.A little kitchen improvisation is necessary to make the most of our ingredients. With a little olive oil, an onion, salt, and lentils you can stone soup your way to dinner. We can make magic out of odds and ends.Stay connected with your community and share this recipe. Accessible eating can help root all of us during times of distance and we can find comfort in cooking from the same set of instructions. A way to bring us together, apart. Check out the recipe today!  What vegetables are you adding into your red lentil *stone* soup?? #closedloopcooking

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PANTRY STAPLES 🍚 Having kitchen staples on hand

PANTRY STAPLES 🍚
Having kitchen staples on hand is great year-round whether you’re socially distancing yourself or having friends over unexpectedly. Simple pantry staples can help you be prepared any time of the year and give you a solid foundation to create wonderful plant-based and vegan dishes with. You can stock up at your local bulk bins for most of this list. Make sure to bring your reusable bags and containers whenever possible! Pantry staples will keep you cooking throughout the seasons! 
Feel free to build out your pantry specific to your preferences and what you think you’ll get the most use out of. Things like olive oil, kosher salt, and apple cider vinegar are always present in my kitchen but I can alternate between quinoa, brown rice or pasta depending on what’s available and least expensive. 
A few of my favorites from this list:
* Lentils – red, green, yellow (Lentils are a great plant-based protein source that don’t require additional soaking time. I prefer red lentils and use them liberally.)
* Oils – olive, coconut, grapeseed, vegetable (Olive oil is a neutral must have for most of my plant-based cooking.)
* Vinegars – white, red wine, balsamic, apple cider vinegar (Always easy to make your own!)
* Kosher salt (Doesn’t hurt to have flake salt as well but for most cooking kosher salt is a necessity.)
* Popcorn (A low waste, package free snack is a must to have on hand. Cook up with some olive oil and loads of nutritional yeast.)
* Loose leaf tea (I’m always reaching for herbal tea throughout the day, when company is over or when I’m social distancing.) You can check out the full list and several pantry recipes on our latest write up at closedloopcooking.com! A well stocked pantry can help you make it between trips to the grocery store when you want to avoid the frenzy. You can rely on the basics for some hearty plant-based meals.https://closedloopcooking.com/feature/what-to-stock-your-plant-based-pantry-with-vegan-approved/ 
What are y’all cooking with your staple ingredients? #closedloopcooking

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LOW WASTE REMINDER 👏 It’s inevitable, you’r

LOW WASTE REMINDER 👏
It’s inevitable, you’re on your way home and realize you need to stop by the grocery store and you didn’t bring a single bag or container. But let’s be real, this happens more frequently than we care to admit. Grocery shopping has to happen y’all! I get it. Especially with the frequency I hit up our local New Seasons. Creating a low waste (and sometimes zero waste) shopping kit has been an incredibly helpful solution to mitigate excess packaging and waste. You don’t need all of those flimsy plastic produce bags to hold your apples and you can say, no thank you, to that extra bag at the checkout line, because you’re prepared friend! And I am proud of you. Having your low waste / zero waste kit on your person will come in handy more often than you think.How to remember your low waste shopping kit:
* Keep your kit compact and let it live in your travel bag. Always replace it as soon as you empty out your shopping.
* Place your kit with or close to your keys so you see it when you leave the house.
* Have a kit ready to go in your car so you don’t have to think about it.
* Add it to your PKW chant when you leave - Phone, Keys, Kit, Wallet. It works!The most important thing about your shopping kit is actually remembering it. Making sure you place it somewhere you will actually see it before you leave the door makes it easy for you to grab and go. Set yourself up for success pal.You can read our latest piece on how to make a low waste shopping kit today over on closedloopcooking.com! Be prepared friends. What’s in your low waste travel kit?? #closedloopcooking

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IMPROV KITCHEN | GNOCCHI MEETS WHISKEY We had an i

IMPROV KITCHEN | GNOCCHI MEETS WHISKEY
We had an incredible time at our very first Improv Kitchen workshop. I’m so appreciative of this community that continues to show up, your support means the world. I can’t think of a better way to bring folx around the table than pulling dough by hand and sipping local, craft whiskey. Roasted winter squash gnocchi is a recipe everyone should have in their back pocket. If you didn’t make the event you can still make the pasta! Recipe is up on closedloopcooking.com.I was lucky enough to partner up with @littlezestypdx of @rilecopdx to curate an awesome evening. A massive thank you to our sustainable sponsors! They really made this a memorable evening.@freelandspirits is a local distillery making one of the best, seriously I mean best, bourbon whiskeys I’ve had. Not to mention that beautiful glass bottle, am I right?We topped our finished pasta plates with an umami inspired seaweed pesto, using @blueevolution seaweed. I was amazed at how well the two paired together! Hooray for plant-based dips! Blue Evolution is doing necessary work to change consumer habits around freshwater farming.And of course @fiftylicks ! An end of the evening surprise with a selection of totally dairy-free ice creams, Fifty Licks is one of my favorite Portland treats. Fifty Licks also does a fantastic job of mitigating in store waste with proper dishware for a sit-in experience. You know I’ve got that punch card going.A giant thank you to Leslie Kavasch @greyfort for documenting this tasty evening and sharing these perfect photos with us. Has pasta ever looked so sensuous?Teaching basic cooking skills is at the heart of Improv Kitchen. It’s a way to empower you and your cooking so you learn to use what you have on hand. Homemade gnocchi is a simple way to get started and enjoy making a meal with friends. It’s an imperfect process where we can try, fail, and try again. The more you practice in the kitchen, the more knowledge you’ll have to make the most of your ingredients.If you missed this last one keep your eyes peeled for upcoming events! We’ve got some exciting updates in the mix I can’t wait to share. Stay hungry 💛#closedloopcooking

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Delicata Squash & Roasted Apple Risotto  In @mwe

Delicata Squash & Roasted Apple Risotto 
In @mwelbel ‘s latest interview with Kate Weiner of @loamlove Kate shares one of her favorite recipes, a creamy winter produce inspired risotto that is without a doubt an act of self care.
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“I think risotto is one of the most sensuous foods to make. I think it’s an exquisite act of self care because it takes time and you have to be really present when you stir. And then you get to eat this creamy dreamy meal. There is something that goes into the care to make risotto that feels like a deep act of love. It teaches you to notice, to tend, to nourish.” ✨
Cooking can often feel like the last thing we have time for, but this act of stirring, smelling, and taking care of a dish is valuable. Finding mindfulness in these small kitchen moments is what brings us back to our food.On her work creating context for sustainability -
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“Before I started Loam I would read a food blog and be like, ‘This looks so delicious, but I want them to be talking about climate change.’ Or I would open up a beautiful guide of flowers and then hunger to know how the flowers are being sourced—wanting to feel like there was that follow through. I want to create media where there is that follow through.When we’re sharing a recipe for an autumnal risotto, we’re inviting people to reflect on what’s available in their region. There’s the photo of a golden risotto crowned in nasturtium and borage, but we also trace the roots of where the food is coming from, and why we’re choosing to create this particular meal. For all of the content we create we want to provide the context.” ✨
Mindfulness that touches everything. As a way to show up for yourself and others. Take a moment to read Kate’s full interview and check our her recipe for this incredible risotto today. Necessary reading and eating y’all. Link in bio.How are you practicing mindfulness this weekend?? #closedloopcooking

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LIGHT, LOVE, AND LOAM with Kate Weiner <3 Y’all,

LIGHT, LOVE, AND LOAM with Kate Weiner <3 Y’all, so honored to share this incredible conversation between @mwelbel and @loamlove founder, Kate Weiner. Loam is an organization of artists and activists united against the climate crisis. Through printed words, conscious community experiences, and a recently launched podcast, Loam encourages the cultivation of sustainable practices and fosters intersectionality across movements.Kate’s commitment to sustainability and community is the cornerstone of the platform and an important reminder to show up and serve, even when it’s not convenient. This is the reminder we all need right now.
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“Community to me means showing up in service of the people and places you love when it’s easy to do so and when it’s not easy to do so. I think community is about commitment, consistency, and compassion. Community is everything. I recently had a forum for Loam Home, and a friend shared that one of the worst things that we can do for the environment is to be alone. When we’re alone we’re more likely to spend time scrolling through Instagram or ordering stuff online that we don’t need. Loneliness breeds behaviors that ultimately don’t nurture ourselves or the earth that we are a part of. But community creates a container where we can begin to cultivate practices that benefit the wellbeing of our world.Loam shows up for community by creating space for conversation through our publication and podcast. We also bring those conversations home through workshops, retreats, and events that get our community together. It’s so easy to live online now and we want to be disciplined about counteracting that. We create beautiful spaces where there’s bouquets of flowers and delicious food to savor—it’s a sensuous experience in that it invites you into a relationship with your senses, where you get to be a human with other people.“
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Head over and read the full interview today! Link in bio ✨ Trust me, this is something you need to read 💜 #closedloopcooking

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SALTY SWEET SQUASH SEED GRANOLA 🥄✨ I’m a sq

SALTY SWEET SQUASH SEED GRANOLA 🥄✨
I’m a squash seed fiend at this point, if there is an appropriate dish for crispy, toasted, salty seeds I will find it. This crunchy granola experiment was a true success–loaded up with toasted squash seeds, flax, sunflower seeds, and oats, it’s an awesome breakfast addition to your winter meal rotation. Or to have as a snack on the go, honestly I’d eat this at any point in the day. Midnight, included. This recipe will be up on closedloopcooking.com tomorrow so keep your eyes peeled and spoons at the ready!Granola is a great catch-all for leftover nuts, seeds, and fruits. A versatile medium for a snacky medley you can customize to make your own. Love cinnamon? Go wild. Like a crunchier cluster? Add more chopped nuts. Granola is hard to mess up, bless her. With a little extra dairy free milk, there’s no way it’s going to waste. This flavor combo of salty squash seeds pairs perfectly with a cinnamon maple sweet kick. I am low key obsessed with this granola, I may be eating some at this moment and am unlikely to share.We had quite a week peeling, chopping, and mashing winter squash for our Gnocchi Meets Whiskey event with a bowl full of leftover seeds just waiting to be used up. If you’ve fallen in love with a squash pasta, who hasn’t really, chances are you’ll need a regular use for all of those leftover seeds. (And save your innards and peels for that homemade scrap stock!) Unexpected uses for seeds keep your cooking practice exciting and help you reduce waste on the reg. Cheers for low waste snacks! 
Recipe live tomorrow! Stay tuned.Have you made your own granola?? #closedloopcooking

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TOASTED SQUASH SEEDS ⭐️ If you’ve made our i

TOASTED SQUASH SEEDS ⭐️
If you’ve made our insanely delicious (and easy) roasted winter squash gnocchi you probably have a few leftover seeds on hand. Don’t toss em! Those little seeds are the perfect flavor vehicle–an awesome plant-based / vegan snack you can have on the go or as a pantry staple. Cooking and eating the leftover seeds from any squash is a wonderful way to close the loop with winter squash. And you can also reserve the extra pulp from cleaning the seeds for your weekly batch of homemade vegetable stock, what a way to cook! I’m proud of you.The recipe is updated over on closedloopcooking.com! The secret to the perfect toasted seed is a pre salt water soak to tenderize then ✨ (thanks to @littlezestypdx for the hot tip 💜) To prepare these beauties you can always toast in the oven, but for a faster cook I like to pull out my cast iron skillet. You can control the browning better and taste as you go. Is there anything cast iron can’t do? A little olive oil, salt, and your desired seasonings and we’ll be in business!What’s your favorite squash seed flavoring? #closedloopcooking

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7 LOW WASTE SWAPS FOR PLASTIC WRAP ✨👏 Y’all

7 LOW WASTE SWAPS FOR PLASTIC WRAP ✨👏 Y’all it is time to ditch the cling, it’s 2020, there are other alternatives. Plastic wrap is not a kitchen necessity, though Thanksgiving leftovers might have you thinking otherwise. It’s been an ever present accessory for chilling cookie dough, wrapping up produce, and packing sandwiches to go. Crumpled up once you’ve used it and sports-balled into your closet bin for points. A single use convenience item most of us don’t think twice about. It’s time to change that! Swapping out single use kitchen items for reusables makes a huge difference in reducing our impact and creating sustainable long term habits.A few ideas to help you make the switch:
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Glass jars. My favorite form of storage. Truly, you can forgo a cling wrapped container 100% of the time if you’ve got other storage options on hand. Glass jars can be thrifted, repurposed from that excess of pickle juice you have in the fridge (just me?), or if you just need a bunch to get started, invest in a few to help ya get that collection started. Reuse first! ✨
A plate or clean linen. Cover resting or chilling dough with a simple plate or clean dish towel. A lot of recipes will tell ya to cover your cookie dough or yeasty bread to be with plastic wrap while it sits in the fridge or on the counter. Replace that wrap with a plate that covers the bowl or a clean linen or two and you’ll protect your goods just as good. ✨
Beeswax wraps. Eco-friendly, reusable magic wrap that’s perfect for saving leftovers, wrapping halves of avocados, and packing sandwiches to go! Great to have on hand and easy to pack when not in use. Easily moldable from the warmth of your hands you can form it to fit just about any produce or piece of dishware. Bee’s Wrap is a reusable fav you’ll pull out almost daily. We’re inspired by this beautiful Bee’s Wrap illustration @marge_____x did for us!) You can check out all 7 swaps on our latest article over at closedloopcooking.com! Low waste for the long term baby.What are your hacks for ditching the plastic wrap?? #closedloopcooking

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PLASTIC FREE BREAD COVER 🍞 From start to finish

PLASTIC FREE BREAD COVER 🍞
From start to finish, I love a #packagefree loaf that you can make over and over. Our cast iron skillet bread is a perfect example of low waste, homemade yeasty goodness. Having reliable, filling recipes on hand to whip up easy plastic-free alternatives makes a huge difference in lessening our day to day single item use. Most traditional breads have some sort of plastic packaging but you can forgo that one time use bag for a delicious dough from scratch.Plastic packaging isn’t the only thing to avoid when making bread though, you know that “cover and let dough rise” step? Most recipes call for you to cover your bowl in plastic wrap to allow the yeast to do it’s thing. Hot tip y’all, you don’t need it! You can actually just cover your dough with a clean kitchen linen, bowl cover, or a large plate. It’s such a simple swap but an unconscious kitchen action associated with most baking. Well, it’s time to switch things up! You can have a truly plastic free bread baking experience (is this a band now?) from knead to bake. Reusable materials, whenever possible.And if you haven’t made cast iron skillet bread yet, what are ya waiting for? https://closedloopcooking.com/cast-iron-skillet-bread/What are you covering your dough with?? #closedloopcooking

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SUNDAY SNACKS 🍌 Rescue fruit–apples and banan

SUNDAY SNACKS 🍌
Rescue fruit–apples and bananas on the edge turned into crunchy dried delights. This is honestly one of my favorite snacks, though a little dangerous to have on hand. (You’ll blink and they’re gone.) I love a dried fruit chip, crisp and chewy all at once, great on its own, broken up on top of granola, or with a spoonful of nut butter. You can keep a container full at your desk or in your bag to have on the go so you’re prepared for the inevitable snack attack.Dehydrating foods is a wonderful way to save overripe or imperfect produce. These apples were well past their prime, a handful of wrinkles, truly. Once they dehydrated, they kept their sweet flavor and crisped up nicely. They’ll last about a month in the pantry, in theory, our jar seems to mysteriously empty out after 2 days. You can save most fruits on the edge or just stock up on extra to have a #lowwaste snack ready at all times. Love a good package-free snack.Hot tip, if you don’t have a dehydrator you can use your oven on low with the door cracked open overnight or look for a local kitchen library you can check one out from! You may even find one in a neighborhood buy nothing group if you’re lucky. There are lots of great options for extending the life of your produce. Sunday funday, am I right?What are your favorite dried fruits?? #closedloopcooking

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REUSE, REPURPOSE. 🌀 Taking a moment to apprecia

REUSE, REPURPOSE. 🌀
Taking a moment to appreciate a full extra day in the calendar to slow down for a minute and clean up after a busy week. I can take stock of what’s happening in the kitchen and feel better balanced with an organized space. As I’m cleaning, the stack of plastic deli containers hanging in the fridge, freezer, and pantry is a good reminder to use what I have on hand before seeking out new materials. These have accumulated over the last two years from unexpected eating out, forgetting a container at the bulk bins, someone sending me home with food. Rather than immediately throw them in the recycling bin I’ve washed and gently reused most of these containers, within an inch of their lives. From saving leftovers, to gifting snacks, storing rubber bands, dry goods, and organizing small objects, I’ve found countless ways to repurpose a traditionally single-use item. I’m sure most of y’all have done the same, but those pictures don’t usually show up in your feed.Organizing your kitchen doesn’t have to be perfect or look a certain way. It’s ok to hold onto those functional items that do the trick. Extending the life of your material goods goes a long way in reducing our footprint. Shifting into low waste habits like reusing and repurposing what we have before recycling or binning changes your relationship with the materials you come in contact with. Your choice to save your container and pack it in your low waste travel kit for grocery shopping next time is a big step towards a sustainable practice. (And it’s lighter than hauling a glass jar around.) So as we move through this extra day, let’s do so with intention, being mindful of how we spend our time and how we treat the objects that take up residence in our space.What are you re-using plastic containers for?? #closedloopcooking

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ROASTED WINTER SQUASH GNOCCHI WITH SHALLOT + SAGE

ROASTED WINTER SQUASH GNOCCHI WITH SHALLOT + SAGE OIL 🍽 
All I can say is YUM. We had an incredible time last night at our first Improv Kitchen workshop with @rilecopdx , Gnocchi Meets Whiskey! Thank you to everyone who came and rolled out some dough with us, we had a great time! Bringing together good friends, good food, and good mood, always makes for an incredible evening. More photos to come so stay posted! If you weren’t able to join us last night we’ve got you covered with your own make-at-home gnocchi recipe, up today on closedloopcooking.com!Making pasta from scratch is surprisingly simple, inexpensive, and delicious. You’ll up your kitchen prowess with this package-free, handmade gnocchi. Trust me, this one’s a game changer. This vegan wonder uses just a few ingredients (most of which you probably have on hand) and can be made gluten-free in a pinch! She’ll be your go-to dinner party recipe from here on out. What better way to hang with your friends that making food together?We used butternut squash for our winter inspired flavor here over traditional potato gnocchi. (And save our seeds for toasting!) The squash does an excellent job of creating gluten-free pasta if you sub out flours, without loosing flavor. I’m in love with the color of these gnocchis–they’re vibrant and pair really well with our limey cabbage cilantro slaw for a bright, acidic contrast. Talk about a color combo! An easy-as-ever plant-based dinner that will look beautiful on any table. (Recipe link in bio!) Are you cooking and can we come over?? #closedloopcooking

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BY HAND 🙏 I’m a firm believer that your hands

BY HAND 🙏
I’m a firm believer that your hands are your best kitchen tool. Touching your food brings you closer to the things you’re eating. You can better familiarize yourself with the textures, tastes, smells of a dish when you use your hands to prepare it. Pulling gnocchi dough ropes by hand, tossing a salad in a homemade vinaigrette, peeling an orange. You activate your sensory connection through touch. I’ve got plenty of other tools I love to use in the kitchen, that cast iron’s not going anywhere, but I feel more attuned to a meal when I’ve been able to use my hands.Methodically chopping vegetables is meditative. Crushing and peeling garlic gives a fragrant whiff of aromatics. Cooking is a sensory experience and to use touch when possible creates a mindfulness in the kitchen. I’m more likely to think about where my ingredients are coming from, how they’re prepared, and how to store them when I can physically experience them.So excited for our pasta making class this evening with @littlezestypdx ✨ we’ll be getting hands-on with some homemade winter squash dough. Recipe to come!How do y’all use your hands when cooking?? #closedloopcooking

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CAST IRON ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH ✨👏 Preppin

CAST IRON ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH ✨👏
Prepping with @littlezestypdx for our gnocchi making workshop tomorrow and am so ready for this dough! Our first of many events as Improv Kitchen, this is going to be an awesome intro to pasta making. It’s beautifully simple and uses just a few ingredients, most of which you probably have on hand. If you’ve never made pasta before it can sound intimidating but honestly, it’s a forgiving medium. One of my favorites to make and enjoy with friends.Simple, straightforward recipes you can share are the best place to get started in the kitchen. If you want to cut down on eating out or just get more comfortable making dinner, once you master a few easy dishes you’ll find yourself cooking more regularly. It’s about getting over the bump that good, healthy food has to be complicated or expensive. You can whip together a delicious plate without breaking a sweat, I swear.If you couldn’t make our class this time, don’t stress! We’ll have the recipe up on closedloopcooking.com tomorrow so you can make gnocchi at home too! Just make sure you invite us over, yeah? We’ll bring wine.Also, is there anything a cast iron can’t do? Literally one of my fav kitchen tools. Heirloom items baby. You can get yours @made.trade ⭐️ What’s your favorite kind of gnocchi?? #closedloopcooking

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Odds and Ends Root Vegetable Stew from Jen Hung 🍠 
If you haven’t read our latest interview from @mwelbel with vegan chef, @jenhung you’re going to want to stop what you’re doing. She’s an incredible advocate for sustainable eating and creating contemporary traditions to stay connected to her roots. As a Taiwanese American vegan chef, she’s had to reinvent what a cultural meal looks like. One of her favorite, quick dishes for a cold evening is this odds and ends root veg stew. Soup-er simple and a great plant-based recipe for cleaning out the fridge.
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“One of my favorite things to eat when I’m craving something warming yet simple is a root vegetable stew, which is something I’ve had ever since I was a wee one following after my grandmother to the market. A staple of our weekly meals was a clear broth made by simmering daikon and whatever bones we had together in a stock, with the daikon rendered melt-in-your-mouth-buttery by the time it was ready to eat. Since I no longer consume animal products, I either start with a mirepoix if I want a heartier, western taste, or just water if I want a simpler, more eastern flavor. What’s great about this stew is that I can use the odd ends from when I’m cutting up my vegetables for other dishes – I either refrigerate or freeze the pieces until I have enough, and then I throw it all together in a pot. It’s macrobiotic: balance of yang (tamari, miso) with yin (vegetables, sea vegetables) in a gentle simmer that allows the nutrients of the items to be retained in the soup.” YUM, yes please! Jen, we’re coming over, ok? Soup’s on!  Check out the full recipe on Jen’s interview! Link bio bio ✨💜 What’s in your odds and ends stew?? #closedloopcooking

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FOOD CURIOUS WITH JEN HUNG @jenhung is a vegan Tai

FOOD CURIOUS WITH JEN HUNG
@jenhung is a vegan Taiwanese American chef creating her own culinary traditions. @mwelbel sat down with her to talk food curiosity, vegan eats, and what it means to find new truths in our food. This awesome interview is live today on closedloopcooking.com!
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“In choosing to stop eating meat I was scared that I was going to lose my connection with my culture. I’m Taiwanese American, part Hakka, and a lot of our food centers around cooking meat in clay pots. Even though I immigrated when I was five years old, I grew up in the U.S. and I really didn’t know anything about Taiwan. If I was going to stop eating animals I would not have that tie to my culture anymore. ....
When I left the restaurant [industry] I knew I wanted to focus on how I could impact people on a personal level, and that’s when I started the blog. I cook with what’s in season and what’s in my pantry rather than follow recipes, and I wanted to give others the tools to do that too. I know so many people in my life who are scared of precise measurements and I want them to understand that the joy of cooking is that it’s not supposed to be about precision.I also wanted to get deeper into why I went to that farm—my fear of losing my last touchpoint with this culture that is important to me even though I don’t know much about it. I’m trying to figure out ways that I can continue to participate in and enjoy what it means to be Taiwanese American as a vegan. That’s where the name Root Fare comes from, it’s about my roots.”
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I often think what it means to lead a plant-based life, often missing out on so many cultural experiences. Especially growing up in a Jewish household, having to recreate dishes central to our culture felt like I was removing myself. Jen’s approach to recontextualizing Taiwanese food through a vegan lens is a fantastic, if not challenging endeavor. It prompts the question, truly, why do we hold onto certain foods emotionally?  I’m food curious what y’alls experience with veganism / plant-based eating and culture has been? What are your challenges?? #closedloopcooking

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LIMEY CABBAGE CILANTRO SLAW 💜 New recipe up on

LIMEY CABBAGE CILANTRO SLAW 💜
New recipe up on closedloopcooking.com! This vibrant slaw is one of my favorite mid-winter go-to’s. A plant-based, cabbage forward salad that I’ve paired with just about any savory food you can think of. It’s an easy side dish for when I’m hosting dinner or need to whip up something quick to bring. Or doctored up with an egg, avocado, and some quinoa she makes a perfect, filling bowl. The herbaceous, bright flavor is an awesome foil to heavier meals. Light, bright, and looks beautiful on the table. Purple cabbage doesn’t get enough love, it’s not just about the kraut game ya know. 
Super simple salads elevate any meal and you can have this ready in under 5 minutes! And it’s a great way to use up all that extra cilantro you have hanging in the fridge, stems included! What’s not to love?What are y’all enjoying this slaw with?? #closedloopcooking

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WINTER PRODUCE COLORS Love a good purple cabbage t

WINTER PRODUCE COLORS
Love a good purple cabbage that’s bigger than my head. A favorite winter produce item, I’m inspired by the vibrant purple to include the cabb in as many plant-based dishes as I can. Shopping seasonally in the winter can be a colorful experience–there’s more available than you’d think! Lots of saturated root vegetables to roast, bright greens, earthy shrooms, and of course purple cabbage. I’m always amazed by what I can still find at the local farmer’s market in these colder months.Some of my favorite ways to include that poppin’ purple: ✨ slice up small to add to a side slaw ✨ top off curries, soups, and stews with a handful ✨ roast up thicker slices, including the root for a main course ✨ save your leftover cabbage scraps for a homemade sauerkraut ✨ stir fry long strips like a veggie pasta  Getting some color into your winter dishes will help keep you inspired in the kitchen and trying out new ingredients, all year round. Plus that cross-section is pretty amazing, right?Keep your eyes peeled for a new cabbage recipe tomorrow!In the meantime, how are y’all cooking up this purple produce?? #closedloopcooking

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