Concord Grape + Balsamic Shrub

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Oct 13 2015

My sister-in-law has a tangle of wild concord grapes growing along her fence and she asked if I wanted some. I couldn’t say yes fast enough. After our sister trip last weekend, I snipped a bag full of grapes to take home. They are so fragrant that I thought the bag she gave me had perfume on it. Did I accidentally forage? I have wanted to make a shrub and I think Kimberley’s was the first recipe that got me excited about it. Just look at the color! I see that her post was back in 2011, whoa. Now 4… Continue reading ≻

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Oct 7 2015

I typically love my trusty vinaigrette dressings and if I’m in the mood for something creamy, blue cheese is my go-to, but it’s hard to put a good ranch dressing in the corner, baby-style. There’s a reason it’s most American’s favorite dressing and why you just want to dip everything in it. It’s creamy and caloric, yet somehow refreshing. Must be those fresh herbs. And when you have a guest over that isn’t too food adventurous, maybe it’s not the day to rock the boat, you know? You definitely want to show them how good homemade ranch is, though, and then when… Continue reading ≻

Vegetarian Taco Pasta Salad

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Sep 29 2015

First of all, hey! Vacation is way over and I’m back at it. Back at it plus Marc and I started kickboxing! A new studio opened up near our house and this morning we had our third class, at 5:45 am (big eyes emoji). It’s going really well. I love how I feel after class and I’m learning so much. Hopefully we can keep this going! Maybe I was still high on endorphins from last Saturday’s class, but it was the most beautiful day! It was sunny, warm and perfect for the barbecue we had planned. We invited Marc’s cousin, Chris, and… Continue reading ≻

Marinated Summer Squash

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Sep 15 2015

Michigan cannot decide if it’s summer or fall right now with swings in temperature from 90 degrees to low 60’s and then back up to 80. That’s fine with me because I can’t decide if I’m ready to let summer go, either. I spent last weekend with my sister in law and we walked around the Ann Arbor farmers market under gray skies with our jackets on. We still saw basil, tomatoes, corn and summer squash, so I guess it’s not too crazy to share this recipe in September. I feel like many of us end up with extra zucchini or summer… Continue reading ≻

Plum + Apricot Summer Tiramisu

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Aug 30 2015

My retired neighbor that lives behind us has started throwing buckets of bird seed on the ground and in the middle of her backyard. I’ve never seen this approach to feeding birds before. I get a view into her retired days through my kitchen window because I’m often in the kitchen. Now a few mornings a week, there are more black birds than I can count ascending on our neighborhood, swooping in and out in coordinated hoards. It’s like a Hitchcock film or Game of Thrones, depending on how far back you like to take your references. My sister-in-law is frightened… Continue reading ≻

Sour Cherry + Yellow Plum Galette

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Aug 25 2015

I make at least one galette every summer with the prettiest summer fruit I can find. This time I found sour cherries and little yellow plums. I use my favorite pâte brisée and I always make a double batch. An extra pie crust in the freezer is a beautiful thing. In an effort to not overwork the dough, I left some cracks in the dough and I had a major leak of all the wonderful juices. The galette still tasted delicious, but it’s tastier when the juices bubble up and get thick among the fruit. And cleaning up burnt fruit… Continue reading ≻

Basil Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Aug 18 2015

Basil and summer go together like pb&j. I’ve been putting basil in dressings + pesto + salad, but my food brain wanted more. When we were in Nashville we had a mini strawberry pie with anise ice cream at 5th and Taylor. I am typically not drawn to anise-flavored things, but that barely sweet strawberry pie with rich anise ice cream was a delight. And when I saw a recipe for basil chip ice cream in Bon Appétit, I felt like the anise-like flavors in the basil would be a similar treat. It’s creamy and sweet with the herbaceous basil and bitter dark chocolate… Continue reading ≻

Summer Halloumi + Melon Salad

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Aug 11 2015

Ah, summer. The time of year when a salad like this is dinner and everyone is happy ’bout it. This salad is inspired by one I had at Selden Standard recently with seared halloumi, cantaloupe, fresh snap peas and radish. Fresh snap peas were hard to find last weekend and I wasn’t about to mince radishes, so I picked up what was fresh and pretty at the farmers market. Namely baby heirloom tomatoes, green beans and basil. The whole salad is drizzled with a sharp citronette to make the cantaloupe savory/sweet and the golden cheese is even better with a hit… Continue reading ≻

CSA 2015: Week 5 + Creamy Vegan Lemon Basil Dressing

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Jul 24 2015

Whoa, so I posted a steak salad on Instagram Tuesday night and people were ALL ABOUT that creamy lemon basil dressing. Today’s the day I’m sharing! Again, we have lots of lettuce from our CSA and that means lots of salads. I have my favorite dressings, but I’m always ready to try another. I still had basil from last week’s CSA and I was strangely not in the mood for pesto. I was thinking about this Raspberry Basil Vinaigrette that we love, but instead made this creamy vegan lemon basil dressing. It’s blends up really creamy and it tastes like summer. The recipe is… Continue reading ≻

Vegan Chocolate-Dipped Avocado Popsicles

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Jul 13 2015

It’s popsicle week! That magical time of year when food bloggers show their undying love for this frozen treat. I can’t wait to see what everyone is making, so head over to Popsicle Prince Billy’s blog and check in all week for what’s new. And check out the official Pinterest board of popsicle week hosted by Munchie’s. I knew immediately what I wanted to make this year. I had to recreate my Las Paletas avocado popsicle with chocolate dip I had in Nashville. And because I couldn’t stop at the chocolate dip, I also sprinkled them with roasted pistachios and Maldon sea… Continue reading ≻

Dula Notes

Seasonal recipes and adventures from Michigan with love

Posts tagged: Vegetarian