(upbeat music) - Hi friends, welcome to The Savvy Cast where we'll talk food, family, beauty, health, relationships and more. Join me for conversation designed to help us live our best and savviest lives. So grab a cup of coffee and let's talk. (upbeat music) - Hello everyone, welcome to The Savvy Cast. This is Jamie and I'm thrilled that you're joining today whether you're watching on YouTube or listening to the podcast. I am thrilled about today's guest. It is one of my favorite and many people's favorites Instagram, Ambitious Kitchen, Monique Vols is joining me today and I could not be more pleased. Thank you so much Monique for joining me on The Savvy Cast. - Well, thank you for having me. - Well, you are so well known that I know so many people already know and love you. I wanna talk about a lot of things but before we start, I always ask my guests an icebreaker question and that is what would you choose as your work last meal? - I would probably choose a cheeseburger from Ashavel here in Chicago and call it up with probably a slice of banana cream pie. - Oh my goodness, that sounds great. So you are in Chicago. - I'm in Chicago. - Well, tell us about your family. - I have a husband, we've been married for, let's see, it's seven years now and I have three little boys, four, three and almost two. So it is a very busy chaotic house. - A lot of yelling, I like to yell, yeah. - So you have two at home, one in school, correct? - Yes, my oldest one is about to go off to preschool. - Oh my goodness, oh goodness. I'm a mother of three daughters, they're all, we're in DNS now, so I know that you are so busy. In addition to everything that you're doing, we'll just to let everyone know you are ambitious kitchen on Instagram and you will be releasing a cookbook, September 17th and I've been looking through it and it is fantastic. It's 125 recipes and this is the title for everyone who needs to be on the lookout for this, the ambitious kitchen cookbook, 125 ridiculously good for you, sometimes indulgent and absolutely never boring recipes for every meal of the day. Okay, that just about covers it all. That is a great title. My name, tell us, first of all, tell us how did you choose out of all the recipes that you have, you've shared online and that are in your repertoire, how did you choose these 125s? - So 85% of the recipes in the cookbook are brand new, never before seen recipes. So they are, yeah, so they are very new and I really wanted it to be a cookbook for everybody to celebrate all different types of diets, have a lot of variety. The ones that I did pull from my site, I wanted to include a lot of fan favorites, you know? I've had my site for like close to 12 years now and I wanted recipes that people were coming back to again and then they could really have something to hold and cherish and share with their family in front. So popular ones like my famous cinnamon rolls which have now like 28 million views on the blog are in the cookbook with a couple different varieties and then there's a few fan favorite salads that I think people just love to meal prep. So just a few here and there that made it into the cookbook, otherwise everything is brand new. - Well, I have been looking at all of the recipes and it requires quite the dedication because they're amazing, they're very intricate but they're not difficult. Where do you get your ideas for all the recipes? Do you test them in your own kitchen? - Yeah, I get a lot of my inspiration from my parents, my childhood, my heritage, my mom is Puerto Rican. So I tend to cook a lot of things with those just flavor components. So, you know, I use cilantro, a ton, sussone and just kind of, it's more, I guess, Hispanic inspired some of the recipes, a lot of the flavors that I use. And then I also just get inspiration from what I'm out and about, you know, when I'm going to a restaurant if I see a pasta with lemon and pistachio and chili flakes I might put that into something else that I'm creating, right? Maybe it becomes like a kale couscous salad with those flavor components. So I'm always thinking about things that go well together that really surprise me and then just kind of turning those into other recipes. So I think I'm just constantly inspired and I'm a very creative person. And so I'm always just getting inspired with everything around me. - How much time do you spend in the kitchen, my make? - Well, recently spent less and less just because I've been, you know, working on all of the cookbook things. But I would say on average, I have about two to three full days in the kitchen, a week of recipe testing. And that's for my website and then outside of that, I like to make things, if my kids just for fun, you know, breakfast, big things with them on the weekend. And so it is quite a bit of time, quite a bit. - So you all of your boys love to be in the kitchen with you? - Not all of them, my youngest is a little bit too young to kind of know, you know, what's going on. But my older two, definitely like they will, you know, fight over who gets to mix the pancake batter in the morning or, you know, what we're gonna make for breakfast that morning. So they really enjoy it. And I'm happy to have them in the kitchen, even if it gets a little bit messy, it's teaching them, you know, those life skills that they need, everybody needs to be able to cook, but also teaching them about the nutrition of the recipes that we're making. And I think a lot of times it encourages them to try something new and different that they haven't had before. So I love to have that experience with them. - Does your husband cook at all? - He doesn't, you know, occasionally he'll make very simple things. He loves to grow a typical, but I think he just kind of lets me do my thing and I'm fine with that. Sometimes I'll put him in charge of dinner and I will like, I'll go and get the boys and I come back and I'm like, whoa, what happened in here? (laughing) - Sorry. - Yeah. - We love cooking so much because we can give them a pass. But well, speaking of you, you've said the word that everyone should be able to know how to cook and I believe that. I believe that COVID and when restaurants shut down that there were many people who were faced with the reality that you could not go out to eat. And did you notice what I noticed on my website and my Instagram spy, people were trying to learn and, you know, I guess the quick start. Did you notice that and how did that affect your? - Yeah, I'm in the same boat as you. Absolutely. I think 2020 during that April May timeline when things first shut down my traffic spike tremendously. And, you know, for me, it was, I don't want to say it was great that that happened, but it was a turning point for me to be able to introduce people to just like a different way of eating and encourage more nutrition in people's diets or, you know, just to really offer something that they haven't tried before. So that's all really what ambitious kitchen is about. It's about getting ambitious in your own kitchen. You know, whatever that means to you. And I think we all have different ways of eating and what health and wellness means to us. I think, you know, it's not this prescriptive where it's, you know, one or the other. It's, you know, I probably differently than you do. And I think that's what I really want to encourage people to do is just add things to their diet and in their life rather than taking things away. So a lot of my recipes include, you know, vegetable, like infused into sauces, like a pumpkin, enchilada sauce in the cookbook. It's got a whole can of pumpkin in it, but you would never be able to tell because it's paired with like this smoky, chipotle cheesy sauce. But it's, you're getting the best of both worlds. And I think I really want people to realize that eating healthy doesn't mean that it has to be boring. - Right. And you're snaking in a lot of wonderful vegetables and nutrients that your kids would never know. - Yeah, exactly. - I've heard that you were inspired by your mother and your grandmother. - Yes. - So what did your childhood look like learning from them, how to cook? - My childhood was very, honestly, very chaotic. And I think that's what sparked my interest in food just because my mom wasn't around a lot to really sit down and like cook a meal with us. So it wasn't like every single day she was coming back and cooking. It was the times that we did have with her. They were very planned and prepared. And she really took her time to create something with love and nourishment. And I think it was so much more about the quality of the time versus the quantity. And so she taught us how to cook, you know, all different types of fish, her famous rice and beans, a lot of Puerto Rican inspired food. And then my grandma, of course, taught her everything. And so a lot of my childhood, I didn't have the traditional food that I think a lot of my friends did, which was wonderful for me. 'Cause I was exposed to different, you know, just flavors. But yeah, it was it was busy. And I think because of that, I learned to cook for myself at an early age just because I had to, you know, be able to feed myself when my mom was busy working all through different jobs. - That's very similar to my situation. I started early making meals while she was at work. And yeah, when you were growing, you're a lot younger than I am. But did you have in your education, homie-phenomics, or had it already been phased out of schools? - It was already phased out. I think by the time I got to high school, they had like cut it. Do you have a favorite either website, influencer cooking show? Where do you go when you want to find something great that's not your own? - That's a great question. I love Alex of Definedish. I think her recipes are very flavorful. They always turn out. I also love Jessica of House Feed Eats. She has amazing go-to dinner recipes that my kids like a lot of the time. And I think both of them cook very similar to I do, that, you know, the way that I do. So yeah, both of those, definitely inspiration women, you know, doing the same thing and they're both very lovely. - Okay, and I have to ask you, how did you start your blog? What prompted that? - Yes, so I was in college at the time, and my father had passed away a couple of days before I went to college. And it was sort of dealing with this really difficult, just like a period of time where I wasn't processing that grief. And, you know, I'd always spent a lot of time with my dad in the kitchen, baking and cooking. And I sort of was discovering blogs at the same time in college. And I just thought, wow, this is so fun. And it was just sparking this joy in me that was taking me back to my childhood. And I just started experimenting more and more and making like unique little creations. And I think through doing that, I felt like I was reconnecting to my dad and like it was helping me process that grief a little bit. So I decided to start my blog in the Shitspitchin as a way to just kind of be vulnerable with myself, with other people and find, you know, a sense of community in the food world and also just like cook those recipes from my childhood and rediscover, you know, that sort of joy in the kitchen. So it was in 2011 and yeah, I was like 21 and then the name ambitious kitchen sort of came just because I'm a Capricorn. And I was sitting with my roommate in our room and we were like, what do we name this thing that, you know, I wanted to start. And she was like, you are all of these things. You're Capricorn, you're determined, you're ambitious. And then we sort of just like landed on it. It was ambitious kitchen and I never really looked back. I feel like it's very all encompassing. So I'm because I know, because it happened to me. You surely had some viral posts that took you from just your friends and family checking in to Google juice. What were those for you? What were some of those viral recipes for you? - Or posts? - Yes, yes. So one of them was a Nutella stuffed brown butter chocolate chip cookie. - Oh, wow. - Nutella stuffed brown, yeah. - Wow, I've never even heard, that sounds amazing. - They were amazing. And I think I had sort of like gone on this journey to create the best chocolate chip cookie, a brown butter chocolate chip cookie, which was my classic staple on my site. And then one day I was like, let me just stuff some Nutella in the middle and see what happens. And I posted about it and, you know, a really popular blogger at the time, a cup of gel reposted it on her site. And it just, it popped off and it crashed my site and-- - I'm not goodness, yes. - Yes, it was like very popular. Pinterest was just starting out at the time and it kind of blew up from there, so. - Okay, and am I correct in that your, is that your brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe just with a tweak? - Yep. - Okay, so that recipe, am I correct that that's one of the most searched recipes on the internet? - Yes, yes. And it's actually in the cookbook as well. That was a fan favorite that I had to put in the book. - Okay, I wanna just say, I appreciate that you put mostly new, but that you included your fan favorites. That's so convenient for everyone. I mean, that's, that they don't have to start, they can have it all right there. And I will say one that I am so intrigued and I cannot wait to make is your chicken soup. I have never seen a chicken soup like yours and it looks amazing. Pearl couscous, my goodness. - Oh yeah, if I'm having this full blown love of hair of the pearl couscous. It's just like a baby gnocchi, I love it so much, especially not only in soups, just to make it a little bit more hearty, but also in things like salads, like I find if you add it to like a kale salad or something, just to bulk it up a little bit. - It's so good and it takes on the flavor, the dressing or the broth or whatever it is very, very well. So it has become one of my favorite pastas, even though most people don't think of it as a pasta, but it has become one of my favorite. - And is it more easy to keep in the soup and reheat without it? But you know, when you use big pasta, it can be problematic. I always keep mine separate, add it lighter, but pearl couscous is almost, it's in a class of its own 'cause it's so small. It's almost like a grain. - Yeah, it is. And sometimes it will, you know, with all pastas, they do absorb a little bit of the broth, but what I like to say is just always add more broth. If you like a brothier soup, but oftentimes when you reheat, like it'll dissipate a little bit and the broth will come back. So sometimes I like it a little bit heartier. It's really, really good when it's just the next day, the flavors absorb even more into the couscous. And that is one thing that I will make every single time that someone is sick in my house, my kids love it. It's got that ginger, turmeric, garlic, tons of fresh herbs. It is absolutely delicious. - Well, that is on my grocery. All of those things are on my grocery list. It looks amazing. So does your fruit vegetable soup? And what about that? - Because when I saw the ingredients and saw what you wrote about that, I thought, you know what? I love to take food to someone who's sick or maybe just had a baby, because I think that's a time in life when they really need the best nourishment, because mentally and physically they're sometimes depleted. And that soup looks like it is life, my goodness. The ingredients, how much about that? Yeah, so this is actually one that was inspired by my mom as many recipes are, but this is her soup. And she started making it for me when I was pregnant with my third son. And it was, I got very, very sick and she was like bringing it over. And I just could say, wow, this is incredible. I mean, there's so many different flavor components in there. I mean, it's basically all the spices. It's like turmeric, there's curry, there's coriander, there's cilantro. And the best part it is, is that the broth is like a little bit sweet thanks to the butternut squash. You could do sweet potato and then the parsnip. So it's just, it's like this magical flavor that comes from it. And you wouldn't think that it would be so flavorful 'cause it's just root vegetables, right? But it just is delicious. Now, what I love about the soup too, is that there's different ways to make it, right? Like adds some more beans in there, add shredded chicken if you want, add the pro cus cus. It's like you can really make it hearty if you want or if you need something just very light and nourishing like if you are sick and you just wanna heal your body, it's perfect on its own. But it's something that I come back to year after year. And you know, during steep season, as I like to call it. - I love it and I'm a huge root vegetable lover. I've never seen a recipe like it. And that's another one that is on my list to make. - So what are some things that are always are part of your weekly meal prep, things that you prep ahead to add to the ingredients or the recipes that you might most often for your family? - Yeah, I would say right now I'm in the phase of life where I do have to keep a lot of things in my freezer just for like quick lunches and stuff. So I'll always have homemade meatballs on hand or a lot of times I'll make like a meatloaf and just double the batch and stick one in the freezer. But I always like to infuse them with vegetables. So shredded zucchini in the meatballs, shredded sweet potato or shredded carrot. It adds like a little bit of sweetness and moisture, but also my kids never know. And I'm happy because it's more nutritious for me and I protein. So I'll keep a lot of those in my freezer just for quick meals. And then a lot of times I'm making like pasta sauces or soups to have on hand for myself. Even something like a breakfast burrito 'cause I could eat that for breakfast lunch or dinner when I need something quick but also high protein. So I have a breakfast burrito in my cookbook. - That's what I'm talking about. I was gonna ask about it. The bread that should always be in your freezer. That's what you're talking about that because I love a good protein, it's protein lighting and I love to be able to freeze. So tell us about that burrito. - Yeah, I always have burritos in my freezer, seriously at all times. And sometimes I make them with like a ground chicken or ground turkey or other times I'll make them with eggs. And this recipe has eggs in it, but the potatoes are well seasoned. There's veggies in there, they've got a ton of spices and then it's just really eggs and cheese. You can add more, a little cilantro and hot sauce, take them up, but they're just a great thing. Like I said, to keep in your freezer, you wrap them up, put them in some plastic wrap and foil, take them out and then you can really reheat them. You can defrost them in your fridge and then just microwave them or pan and crisp them or you can just reheat them from the freezer, which is what I like to do when I have like a very busy day. But I don't know about you, sometimes it's hard for me when I haven't had the chance to meal prep for the day and I'm like, oh my gosh, it's 12 o'clock, I'm hungry, I need something quick, I want it to be good for me. I don't want to have to order out again, like that sort of thing. It's nice to just pull something out of the freezer and have, you know, I do that all the time and I'll pair it with some Greek yogurt for a little more protein or avocado and some salsa and I'm like, I'm good to go. And I can eat that for any meal of the day, truly. - I love that and there's a brand that is, it's a very healthy brand and they have a breakfast burrito that's sold at Costco and it's yummy. It was looking the other day and it has seed oil. - And although I try to do the best I can but I'm not going to just, you know, quit eating anything with seed oil. - Sure. - When I saw your recipe, I thought, oh my goodness, this looks like a great replacement for what I was, you know, getting there and easy to, you know, freeze and then thaw, I love that. If you had to pick the top three favorites, your favorite from your cookbook, not your favorite just because it's popular but if you had to eat three of those things in your cookbook, what would they be, your top three? - I feel like it changes based on my mood but I always say my Chipotle pumpkin, Gouda, turkey and chaladas, they're so, so good. And that was the recipe I was telling you about with the can of pumpkin and the sauce and then it's got the turkey for the protein, black beans, spinach, so good. My husband who doesn't like pumpkin gobbled them up and then I love these iced lemon oatmeal cookies. They're just a little bit of a different take on a classic oatmeal cookie but that lemon glaze on them is unbelievable and sometimes I'll stir in blueberries into the cookies so it's like a lemon blueberry. Just so, so good and different. Like they're very, it's almost like, I don't want to say a cookie's refreshing but you know with the lemon, it kind of is like that. And then last, I have six amazing smoothies. I don't know if I could pick just one. The strawberry one is one of my favorites. I think it's, I dream of strawberries and cream. So it's very, very good. - Oh and I love all the smoothies that you have included because I'm a smoothie person as well. So are there any things that you do that are more farm to table or that you may grow yourself or I've just recently started grinding my own flour. I'm learning but is there anything you're kicking the tires at or that you love to do? - Well, I started a garden this year. So yeah, so I've been making my own homemade tomato sauces and salsa so we have probably like four different varieties of tomatoes right now. And then I'm growing zucchini so I was like just take advantage of that. It's just one of my favorite vegetables. So like I said, put in meatballs, muffins, pancakes. I put zucchini and everything, I have no shame. - Do you have a garden in your yard or do you have to put it on? So you must not have deer like, we have like no neighborhood. - So you don't? - No, we don't. But my husband built, he used the chicken wire fence and he put it around it just for like any of the little critters that might try and get in. So it's been doing really good but we put tons of hot pepper. So I'm experimenting with that and that's been really great. And I think next year we're gonna expand and start doing pumpkin and butternut squash and all those sort of things. So I love it. Well, I will just say as soon as, I mean, I've been looking through a pre-copy but I cannot wait to buy your cookbook and I commend you because I've been blogging since 2011 and I have yet to dedicate the time and effort to making a cookbook. And it's hard, it's work. And I just love that you have done that, especially at such a young age and such a busy season of life. You are truly an inspiration. So I know that it is going to be phenomenally successful. - Oh, thank you so much. That is very kind and hey, you never know. A cookbook could be in your future too. It should be. But now let me just ask you before we sign off, will you be doing book tours? - Yes, I'm gonna be doing a book tour. So I'm going through 14 different cities and all of the information is on my website. So I'm super excited for that. We picked things off on the 16th of September in New Jersey. But yeah, very, very excited to meet the people that have been following me and new fans. And yeah, it's just, it's a very, almost like surreal point of my life right now. That's wonderful. Well, Monique, I'm so grateful. Is there anything you would like to say before we end? Anything, maybe I left out, didn't ask. - No, I think you covered a lot. You can purchase the ambitious kitchen cookbook at all of the major retailers or your favorite independent book story, if you ask me to carry it. And then just sign me at ambitiouskitchen.com. - Thank you so much, Monique. I am so grateful that you joined us into all watching and listening. Until next time, you have a fabulous rest of your day. - Hi, everyone. I hope you enjoyed this episode of The Savvy Cast. If you'll take the time to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes, that would mean so much. As always, thank you for listening and have a blessed day. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)
