deliciously ella

I've been following Ella Mills (@DeliciouslyElla) for a while now, and was super excited when she opened The MaE Deli (now called Deliciously Ella) along with her husband, Matthew. Now with multiple locations around London, the delis offer natural, seasonal, and delicious food. While I (luckily) don't have any allergies or need to avoid any specific ingredients, all the food at The MaE Deli is free from wheat, dairy, additives, and refined sugar, making it the perfect, healthy spot for breakfast or lunch for just about anyone. On a recent trip to London, I visited twice, and loved all the fresh, colorful options to choose from. I created my own "MaE Bowl", with miso broccolini salad, sweet potato with coriander tahini, cauliflower & broad bean falafel, and grilled vegetables with sorrel pesto, all topped with avocado pesto dip! Talk about a mouthful, but this is my favorite kind of lunch. Veggie-based, full of flavor, and super healthy and satisfying!

You know me- I rarely pass on the sweets, and this occasion was no different. The fudgy brownie tastes sinful and indulgent, but is far from it. I love when a dessert still tastes rich and decadent, but isn't full of a bunch of processed crap! Win-win! And how pretty is the hot pink frosting on that red velvet cupcake?! You can now also buy Ella's energy balls in various stores around London (like Whole Foods!). These bite-sized treats, made from nuts and fruits, are great, quick sources of energy and protein, and delicious to boot! I like keeping a few in my bag for whenever I start to get hangry. Here's hoping a NYC location opens soon! 

forage

Forage is a great spot to pick up some healthy, yet tasty ready-made food in the Silver Lake neighborhood of LA. I pop in whenever I'm nearby, whether it's for a market plate with various seasonal salads and a protein, or a house-baked sweet treat! Everything is prepared simply and consistently, and it's hard to go wrong with any of the vibrant, freshly made offerings. My husband and I stopped in for lunch, and he chose the organic free range roasted chicken with the Moroccan couscous (with beets, pickled red cabbage, almonds, golden raisins & garlic ginger dressing) and kale & arugula salad (with feta, breadcrumbs, shallots & lemon garlic vinaigrette). I went for the plate of three sides: fennel citrus salad (with arugula, celery, orange, lemon & citrus vinaigrette), roasted winter squash (with dandelion, pepitas & brown butter vinaigrette), and kale & arugula salad, as well as a bowl of chickpea soup. Never one to pass on dessert, we decided to go all in with a slice of chocolate coconut cream cake and a Mexican hot chocolate cookie. Yum- such a satisfying meal!

PS- There's a great assortment of sweets offered every day! Just check out some of the delicious (and beautiful!) offerings from when I was there, below. Apple-cranberry crisp with Speculoos crumb, Meyer lemon-glazed olive oil cake, banana cake with chocolate chunks, Mexican hot chocolate cookie, banana cream pie tart, gluten-free brownie, chocolate peanut butter malt cake, Meyer lemon sugar cookie, chocolate coconut cream cake, chocolate chip cookie, and more!

black rice & winter vegetable salad

I know the majority of recipes I post here are sweets, but I promise I do actually eat healthy things too! A lot of them, to be honest! While my husband is obviously the better chef in the family, I love to cook as well, just on a much simpler scale. My go-to savory dishes are easy and nutritious, and I typically prepare a lot of the components ahead of time, and make extra, so that I can just throw everything into a bowl and dig in! These bowls usually involve seasonal vegetables (roasted, shaved, etc.), whole grains of some sort (homemade bread or quinoa), a protein (likely chicken or legumes), and a good dressing (tahini or avocado-based). Various textural components, like nuts or sees, add a nice crunch as well. This one was being served as a side dish to meat and other dishes, so I kept this vegan and gluten free! There are a million ways to mix it up, so feel free to use whatever tastes good and is available to you!

Black Rice & Roasted Winter Vegetable Salad:

  • 2 cups black rice, rinsed
  • 2 bay leaves 
  • 4 sprigs thyme, separated
  • 1/4 cup chives, chopped
  • 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
  • 3 cups Brussels Sprouts, rooted & halved
  • 1 celery root, peeled & cubed
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground paprika
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
  • 1 blood orange, segmented

Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp Sriracha
  • 1 tsp honey (or agave syrup)
  • 1 tsp blood orange zest
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Topping:

  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
  • 1 blood orange, segmented
  • 2 tbsp chives, chopped
  • 1/2 cup micro-greens

Preheat oven to 450 F. Cook rice according to package instructions, seasoning the cooking liquid with salt, pepper, bay leaves and 2 sprigs thyme, until just al dente. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems. Spread out on sheet tray to cool completely, topping with chives and seasoning with salt & pepper to taste.

Drizzle sweet potatoes, 2 cups of Brussels sprouts (reserving one cup), and celery root with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool. Shave remaining cup of Brussels sprouts on a mandolin, and add to the rice. Add bell pepper, pumpkin seeds, blood orange segments, and the cooled roasted veggies to the rice mixture.

Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Add to rice mixture, and stir to combine. Top with extra pumpkin seeds, blood orange segments, chives, and micro-greens. Enjoy!

maman

 
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For a a quick and easy, but healthy and flavorful meal, I love stopping by Maman. It's basically the bakery and cafe of my dreams, featuring high quality, locally-sourced ingredients with a always evolving and inspired menu. Pop in for coffee (how cute are their cups?!) and freshly baked breads and pastries, or take a seat and enjoy housemade quiches, seasonal salads, and hearty sandwiches. I'm a huge fan of their unique and flavorful baked goods, including the nutella babka loaf, spiced carrot cake, white chocolate blueberry & lavender loaf, chunky monkey brioche, and the signature 'famous' nutty chocolate chip cookie.

One of my favorite things ever is Maman's cookie dough ice cream sandwich! It uses two slabs of melt-in-your-mouth cookie dough instead of baked cookies, wrapped around tasty McConnell's ice cream. Heaven! I recently stopped in for their new brunch service at the Brooklyn location, and both the waffle-iron hashbrowns (with smoked salmon, avocado & egg) and the roasted cauliflower salad (with kale, dates & egg) were super flavorful and satisfying. I'm looking forward to trying a matcha white hot chocolate this winter!

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local foods

 

Local Foods is one of my favorite lunch spots in my hometown of Houston, Texas. They serve a gourmet selection of sandwiches and salads, all prepared with delicious, local ingredients. There are tons of fresh and satisfying options to choose from, including a banh mi, chicken posole, a vegan quinoa burger, and several seasonal salads. My favorite sandwich is the Garden Sammie, which is filled to the brim with Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, local sprouts, pickled onion, tomato, avocado spread & hummus on a chewy Ciabatta bun. You can also get their sandwiches made as salads, so occasionally I do that and add grilled chicken, which is equally tasty! But sometimes freshly baked bread is really where it's at, ya know? It comes with your choice of two sides, and instead of the typical (and boring!) fries or mixed greens, Local Foods offers some truly flavorful and worthy options, like Tuscan kale salad, cauliflower tabbouli, soba noodles, and quinoa!

There's truly something for everyone here, making it the perfect spot for a family and friends get-together anytime I'm back home. Don't miss the freshly baked sweets at the counter when you're ordering! The butterscotch blondie and chocolate cupcake are deliciously decadent and totally worth the indulgence!