- Hi and welcome to The First Kitchen! My name is Natalie, and I'm an undergrad at the University of Texas (hook 'em!). I'm learning how to feed myself, explore Austin, and have fun, all while on a college student's budget.
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Category Archives: entree
summer quinoa salad
Most days, I wake up early to have a few moments of tranquility before the day begins. I read food blogs and clear out my email inbox, sip my cup-and-a-half of coffee, and if you catch me on a particularly … Continue reading
Posted in beans, entree, grain, side dish, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian
Tagged Austin farmer's market, bell peppers, black beans, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, food, Johnson's Backyard Garden, photos, quinoa, quinoa salad, vegan recipes, vegetarian recipes
5 Comments
wordless … thursday
[baby bell peppers from Johnson's Backyard Garden, a veggie burger and slaw courtesy of Brianna, flowers at the farmer's market, crab cakes at SWB, chips and salsa at Chuy's]
red river cafe
The other day, Preston and I saw this sign: So we did. Well, not really. In all honesty, we’ve passed this cute cafe hundreds of times in the past year. Despite its name, it’s actually not on Red River, but … Continue reading
a guide to Texas summers (and cilantro-lime chickpea salad)
When family and friends from out of state visit, their first question usually is, “[Insert expletive of choice], is it this hot all summer?” The answer is a resounding and emphatic YES. And generally, not only is it “this hot” … Continue reading
Posted in beans, entree, gluten-free, side dish, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian
Tagged austin, bean salad, chickpea salad, chickpeas, cilantro, food, garbanzo beans, photos, surviving Texas summers, texas, vegan recipes, vegetarian recipes
5 Comments
wordless wednesday
(red beans and rice after a long workday, homemade pancit + lumpia from a local Filipino grocery, beet pancakes and roasted purple carrots, flowers from a beautiful wedding, smiles from newlyweds, pineapple-jalapeño jelly bought at the Thorndale Cook-off)
Posted in beans, entree, vegetable, vegetarian, wordless wednesday
Tagged beet pancakes, food, jellyt, lumpia, pancit, photos, red beans and rice, roasted carrots, Thorndale cook-off, wedding
5 Comments
the second kitchen
Like I mentioned in my last post, we’ve spent the past week moving and cleaning. Our new apartment is just 4 doors down the hall, so luckily transporting everything was just a matter of wheeling it all across the walkway. … Continue reading
Posted in entree, grain, legumes, my life, side dish, vegan, vegetarian
Tagged food, food photos, legumes, lentil meatballs, lentils, photos, recipes, vegan recipes, vegetarian protein, vegetarian recipes, whole grains
9 Comments
curried spinach and mustard greens (sarson ka saag)
I have this thing with Indian food. I’m head over heels in love with it. Thick daal over basmati rice… bright, colorful spices… vegetables simmering in tomato sauces… I get a little woozy when I see it, and I sing … Continue reading
Posted in beans, entree, side dish, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian
Tagged food, Indian food, mustard greens, photos, saag, spinach, vegan Indian food, vegan recipes, vegetarian Indian food, vegetarian recipes
4 Comments
blue dahlia bistro review and giveaway winner!
Hello dear readers! Today I want to talk about something I love (aside from food… though we will also talk about food). What I love, my friends, is frugality. I clip coupons on Sunday evenings; I buy the off-brand “mini … Continue reading
Posted in advice, entree, giveaway, restaurant review, side dish, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian
Tagged austin, austin restaurants, blue dahlia bistro, entertainment coupon book, food, guayaki, lasagna, photos, porcini ravioli, ravioli, vegetarian
9 Comments
tofu sesame ginger noodles
Don’t forget to enter my Guayaki yerba mate giveaway! Entries close at 11:59 Saturday night! It’s about that time in the semester when we’re all thinking that maybe life would be easier if we just drop out. Most college students … Continue reading
Posted in advice, beans, entree, pasta, side dish, snack, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian
Tagged austin, food, ginger, giveaway, grocery shopping, money-saving tips, pasta, peanut butter, photos, recipes, tempeh ginger pasta, tofu, tofu sesame ginger noodles, university of texas, vegetarian recipes, wheatsville
12 Comments
hasselback baked potatoes
Listen, I won’t presume to know that you don’t know how to make a baked potato. But, two days ago, if you had presumed to know that I didn’t know how to make a baked potato, you would have presumed … Continue reading
Posted in entree, side dish, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian
Tagged food, hasselback potatoes, photos, potatoes, simple recipes, vegetarian recipes
1 Comment
