For those that do not already know, I was born in the suburbs of Chicago, so I have a natural affinity for hot dogs and sausages. But now, I only get down with the vegan versions. This sausage seemed like the next progression in my mushroom meat creations. I made a few changes to my chipotle sausage recipe and it’s even better than before. I wanted to see how the sausage would cook with shiitake mushrooms instead of lion's mane, and I am very pleased with the results. I also changed the process to create a more consistent texture when you bite. These sausages came out fire! Check out some grilling hacks I used to make this recipe: Use a smoker box or smoker to infuse flavors like cherry, apple, or hickory wood. Use your marinade throughout all steps. You can use it to marinate the sausage and then again to baste the food while cooking. When you are done cooking, add the sausages back to the remainder of the marinade until you are ready to eat. Spritz water around the food while cooking to keep the sausages juicy until it's time to enjoy.

It is grilling season! Put your hand where my eyes can see if you are excited about grilling in the summer sun! Mushrooms are great for grilling, and why not throw some Lion's Mane on the grill? If you can't access Lion's Mane, you can make this recipe using everyday mushrooms like button mushrooms. I rubbed these skewers down with some chili oil and took them to the next level. The mixture of sweet, savory, and spice all in one bite was an explosion!

All right, check it out, y'all. When it comes to mixin' up my food game, ain't nothin' better than explorin' new ingredients to add to the everyday. Keeps the mind sharp, you feel me? We are only scratchin' the surface here, with mad varieties of plants and mushrooms waiting to be discovered. Man, I get all fired up walkin' into the grocery store, coming across some new gems like these black chickpeas and finger limes. Let's talk about black chickpeas for a minute. Unlike the regular ones you might be used to, these little bad boys are brownish-black, smaller, and have a solid density. They're firmer too, and bring a rich, nutty, earthy flavor that'll change your whole chickpea game. They need a bit longer on the stove, but the pay-off is real – they're loaded with more antioxidants and fiber than regular chickpeas. Now, my recent masterpiece? Double-decker black chickpea tacos. Talk about a flavor bomb. I topped these off with finger limes – they got this unique taste, like if dill and lime had a baby. Straight fire, I promise you.

One of my favorite quick dinner recipes is Rasta Pasta. This is a play on Rasta Pasta, made with red curry. It is such a great remix recipe and it reheats well, if you want to meal prep it for the week ahead.

Purple sweet potatoes have been in the spotlight since the documentary Blue Zone came out on Netflix this year—an excellent documentary about five different areas where people live longer than other places. One of the Blue Zone areas showed that residents ate a lot of purple sweet potatoes. Lucky for us, purple sweet potatoes pair well with jerk chickpeas! Jerk Chickpeas & Purple Sweet Potatoes is an easy recipe; if you can not find purple sweet potatoes, you can use regular ones or sub with sweet potatoes.

Shiitake mushrooms are meaty and go perfectly with this Creamy Green Chile Cannellini Soup. After harvesting the shiitake mushrooms, I sliced them and let them soak in a flavorful steak marinade. If you are looking for a recipe to keep you warm during the cold winter nights, add this recipe to your rotation.