Links We Love

A Food Blog Link We Really Love

by: Briana Riddock

July 2, 2016

We're switching up our regular Link Love coverage this week to introduce you to a blogger whose recipes made us hungry.

Meet Meg van der Kruik, blogger behind Beard + Bonnet. An artist by trade, Meg's mostly vegetable-based meals reflect her family's the varied dietary restrictions, which range from vegetarian to gluten-free. Meg is very open about her family's journey through food in hopes of helping and connecting with other readers with dietary constraints. (Her Best Ever Cauliflower Roast with Banging Kale Basil Sauce, is dairy- and gluten-free, for example.) In addition to her recipes, Meg shares neat kitchen hacks like making herb-infused finishing salts and how to make lemon preserves. Here are a few words from Meg:

Meg and son Kash Photo by Meg van der Kruik

I started blogging 4 years ago when my 16-month-old son was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance. At the time, I had no idea that the blog would become my full time job; I was really just looking for a community of people facing the same issues we were. I have always loved to cook. As the daughter of a pastry chef, I grew up in the kitchen and spent countless hours working in my parents’ bakeries. Once I moved out on my own, I started toying around with cooking more savory dishes. Through that experimentation in my own kitchen, my love for cooking turned into a passion.

I really love Mexican flavors, so our kitchen is always stocked with fresh cilantro, avocados, tomatoes, and red onions. Lately, I have been cooking with cauliflower a lot—I love that it can become a blank slate for all of my crazy ideas! My spice cabinet is never without cumin and coriander and my basic pantry staples include beans (both canned and dried) and rice.

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This recipe takes two of my favorite snack foods—everything bagel-spiced things and roasted chickpeas—and transforms them into an epic meal! I have been obsessed the past few months with a sauce recipe that I created called “Banging Kale Basil Sauce,” a blend of soaked cashews, poblano peppers, cilantro, basil, and kale. I have literally been dunking, schmearing, and slathering my way through at least a batch of this green sauce every week or so. The sauce has explosive flavor on it’s own, but when you marinate and roast it with the cauliflower it is out of this world.

Since my son and husband need to eat a gluten-free diet, I don’t really have too many chances to indulge in an everything bagel, so I created my own everything bagel spice that I could sprinkle over anything I wanted, whenever I wanted. Crispy chickpeas are a household favorite as far as snacks go, and because they are so crispy and light, I couldn’t resist spicing them up with everything bagel spice! I usually eat these on their own as a snack, but I also use them in place of croutons in salads, or over dishes like the cauliflower roast.

The cauliflower roast actually came about by accident. It was the end of the week and my fridge and pantry had been depleted. It was one of those meals that I wasn’t sure how would turn out, but I really didn’t want to go to the grocery that day, so I just crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Turns out it was a huge hit!