matcha and margs.

lunch

Creamy California Fig and Farro Risotto

dinner, lunch, recipes

One of my favorite parts about collaborating with companies is being a part of campaigns that push me to step out of my cooking comfort zone — and this has to be one of my favorite creations from just that! This creamy risotto made with Bob’s Red Mill farro pairs absolutely perfectly with the
Valley Fig Growers figs and the salty pistachios. It is not dairy free being that it contains ghee, but it could be made vegan by using vegan butter. If you are gluten free, you can sub the farro for rice. The dish is great to prepare for the week when you’re in a pinch for lunches and dinner, and would pair great with salmon or chicken. I also enjoy adding arugula – the possibilities are really endless.

The recipe calls for parmesan and I have an awesome recipe for vegan parmesan on my site which you can find here.

Let me know if you decide to make it and I would absolutely love to hear what you think! If you remake on Instagram, remember to tag me at @matcha_and_margs so I can send the love and support right back. Enjoy! 

Print Recipe

Creamy California Fig and Farro Risotto

Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Dinner, Figs, Lunch, Main Course, Meal Prep

Ingredients

  • 1 cup farro I used Bob’s Red Mill; soaked and rinsed
  • 5 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp ghee I used Fourth & Heart
  • 1/2 tsp pink salt more or less to taste depending on sodium content in broth
  • 1/2 cup yellow onions chopped
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 cup chopped dried figs I used Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice
  • 1/2 cup pistachios
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1/4 cup dairy free parmesan can use regular as well; recipe for my DF parm is linked above!

Instructions

  • Soak the cup of farro for 30 minutes in water, rinse and pat dry. You can also buy pre-soaked farro to skip this step.
  • Bring a saute pan to medium heat with the avocado oil in it and saute the onions and minced garlic until translucent. 
  • Add in the farro and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Bring it to a boil, while making sure to stir continuously until the broth is absorbed by the farro. Continue this step 5 times; by the end you will have added five cups of broth to the farro.
  • Once the farro is cooked, add in the ghee and the salt to taste. Make sure you take note of how much sodium is in your broth and add the salt accordingly! I like to buy low sodium broths so I can add the salt myself. 
  • Stir in the chopped figs, the pistachios, and 1/4 cup of parmesan or vegan parmesan and enjoy! 

xo,

Cori

Chicken Sausage Noodle Soup with Mustard Greens (Gf, Df)

dinner, lunch, recipes

‘Tis the season for ALL of the soups! I could eat soups year round, but there is definitely something special about eating them in the winter. I cannot get enough of them; they are the coziest and you can add in all of the nutrients and vegetables without compromising the taste. If you know me you know I am not a huge salad girl, so soups and stews are one of my favorite way to get my greens in. One of my top soups that I’ve made this season is my chicken sausage noodle soup.

This chicken sausage noodle soup has lots of veggies and some amazing Mustard Greens from Nature’s Greens. I really love and appreciate all of their pre-washed, farm fresh greens. The Mustard Greens specifically add the perfect peppery taste to the soup and beyond! They would be great sauteed with ghee or butter as a hearty side, and I love the idea of adding them to a pesto or chimichurri for steaks. Kale would be a great substitute for the mustard greens if you cannot find them near you.

Chances are I’m enjoying a soup with a slice of bread, crackers, etc. on the side, but this one adds in pasta which is the perfect addition of a carbohydrate. It also contains butternut squash, so you are bound not to leave the bowl feeling hungry. You can skip the pasta and use butternut squash noodles by making them with a spiralizer or buying them pre-cut at the store. This will keep the dish in the spirit of a traditional noodle soup. I’ve made the soup both ways and enjoy each version equally! I love making a big batch and having it for meals throughout the week; it stays good for about five days in the fridge. 

Let me know if you decide to make it and I would absolutely love to hear what you think! If you remake on Instagram, remember to tag me at @matcha_and_margs so I can send the love and support right back. Enjoy! 

Recipe:

Print Recipe

Chicken Sausage Noodle Soup with Greens (Gf, Df)

Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Soup
Keyword: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Greens, Soup, Vegetables

Ingredients

  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 lb chicken sausage
  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 cup mustard greens I used Nature’s Greens brand, can sub for kale
  • 1 cup butternut squash can spiralize and omit the pasta below!
  • 1 package pasta I used Banza chickpea pasta shells
  • 1/2 cup leeks
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • 1 tsp pink salt more or less to taste depending on the sodium content of your broth
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil

Instructions

  • Add the avocado oil to a stock pot and bring to medium heat.
  • Add the leeks, celery, and minced garlic to the pot and saute until translucent.
  • Add the chicken sausage, chopped zucchini, and butternut squash cubes (or spirals) and saute until the chicken is cooked through entirely. 
  • Add in the chicken broth, the pasta (if using), oregano, salt, mustard greens and bay leaves. Bring the pot to a boil and then let simmer until the butternut squash is tender. 
  • Serve and enjoy! It pairs well with parmesan (vegan or regular) on top.

If you want to add the vegan parmesan on top, you can find my recipe linked here!

This post has been sponsored by Nature Greens, but all of the opinions and reviews are wholeheartedly my own! 

xo, 

Cori

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip (Df)

lunch, recipes, snacks

I’ve been loving my slow cooker this season – the idea of throwing ingredients in and having a delicious, low labor meal at the end of the day always amazes me. I could have a nourishing soup every day if I could, but I thought it would be fun to share something a little different with it for you guys to enjoy. This simple Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe is one of my absolute favorites! There is so much you can do with the end product and it will surely please your pickiest of eaters. Bring it to your Super Bowl party this year and I bet you no one knows that its dairy free! It surely feels like the Super Bowl year round in my house when this dip is on the menu. 

All you need is three ingredients, a slow cooker, and some time and you’re all set! I use Butcher Box chicken breasts and love how they are so high quality and humanely raised. Frank’s Red Hot Original sauce has always been a favorite of mine, and not to mention its Whole 30 approved! The Kite Hill almond milk cream cheese adds the perfect touch and flavor; I love incorporating it into a variety of my meals in some way. 

Let me know if you decide to make it and I would absolutely love to hear what you think! If you remake on Instagram, remember to tag me at @matcha_and_margs so I can send the love and support right back. Enjoy! 

Print Recipe

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip (Df)

Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time6 hrs
Total Time6 hrs 5 mins
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Buffalo Chicken, Dairy Free, Dip

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts I use Butcher Box
  • 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Original Sauce
  • 1/2-2/3 cup Kite Hill Almond Milk Chive Cream Cheese can use regular if not dairy free!

Instructions

  • Put the chicken breasts in the slow cooker with the Frank's Red Hot for 4-5 hours on low. Make sure the sauce covers all of the chicken.
  • Once the chicken is cooked, shred it with a fork and mix with the Kite Hill cream cheese. You can use more or less of the cream cheese depending on how creamy you like it! 
  • Serve and enjoy! I love dipping celery, carrots, and crackers into it. It is also great stuffed in a sweet potato, on a taco or sandwich — the opportunities are endless!
The crackers are Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers. 

xo, 

Cori

Habanero Salmon Cakes (Gf, Df)

breakfast, dinner, lunch, recipes

A few months ago I discovered Yellowbird Sauces line of hot sauces and completely fell in love! I love adding spice to almost all of my foods and was excited to find a way to do so with a healthier sauce that reminded me of Sriracha. All of their flavors are amazing, but my two favorites are probably the Habanero and the Blue Agave Sriracha! They’re sweetened with a touch of cane sugar and do not have any weird fillers or ingredients. And you know I love when you are able to find products on Thrive Market! (Click here to see my full blog post of my Thrive Market recommendations, Yellowbird included!).

Although I have been pouring these sauces on a lot of my meals, I thought it would be fun to create a recipe with them. Salmon and tuna cakes are one of my favorite things to make in a pinch when I do not have any food prepped  and chances are I have a can of wild caught fish on hand. For this recipe, I used Natural Sea salmon. Their salmon is my favorite canned variety I have tried so far. It tastes so flaky and fresh! This is the perfect recipe to whip up for a quick and easy meal – I find that these can be incorporated into any meal of the day. For example, you can have them for breakfast with eggs on top. Hope you enjoy!

Print Recipe

Habanero Salmon Cakes

Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time20 mins
Course: Main Course

Ingredients

  • 2 5oz cans Natural Sea wild salmon
  • 2/3 cup almond flour
  • 1 pasture raised egg
  • 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper black works well too!
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp ground flax
  • 2 tbsp Yellowbird Habanero Hot Sauce you can use less or more depending on your spice preference
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil

Instructions

  • Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and make sure that the salmon is broken up into the mixture. 
  • Roll the entire mix into cakes.
  • Cook each cake on a heated pan in avocado oil for around 5 minutes per side or until browned. 
  • Cook the cakes in batches until they are all complete.