Brussel Sprouts and Pasta Bake [dairy-free, oil-free, vegan] - Made with Noochy Licious!

I did not grow up eating brussel sprouts, so I am always looking for ways to get them into my diet without having to coat them with oil. This casserole is husband-approved and a great way to get more cruciferous veggies into your diet!

Featured in this dish is the fabulous Noochy Licious brand of nutritional yeast from the company, Gloriously Vegan. A couple of years back, I did a product review, so make sure to check that out. It's extremely clean and unfortified "nooch" for those of you who don't want any "extra" ingredients. Recently, the company sent me another bag to work my magic.

Check out their product >> Noochy Licious nutritional yeast
Also, follow them on Instagram at @gloriouslyvegan

NOW FOR THE RECIPE...

1 1/2 lbs brussel sprouts
8 oz whole wheat rotini pasta*

Sauce Ingredients:
1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds 
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 
2 T dry white wine (This makes it fabulous, but if you absolutely don't want to use this small amount of wine, you can replace it with veggie broth)
1/2 T brown rice miso or white miso paste
1/2 cup UNSWEETENED soy milk (or other unsweetened plant-based milk like almond or cashew)
1 T Noochy Licious nutritional yeast
1/2 t salt (more or less to taste)
1/8 t black pepper
2 garlic cloves

Seasoned Bread Crumbs Ingredients:
4 slices whole wheat bread, torn into pieces (DO NOT use bread that contains seeds or has a sweet flavor)
1/2 t onion granules
1 t  Noochy Licious nutritional yeast
1/8 t salt
1/8 t ground black pepper

1) Soak the slivered blanched almonds in 1 cup of the vegetable broth for at least 30 minutes (or even all day in a tightly closed container left in the refrigerator). 

2) In a food processor, pulse the seasoned bread crumbs ingredients until they are the size are panko bread crumbs. Place in a sealed container, and set aside until you are ready to put the casserole together. 

3) Steam the brussel sprouts until fork tender. The time depends on size, but do NOT overcook them or they will be too mushy in the casserole. At the same time, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta well and set aside. Cool the sprouts for a few minutes, slice off a small amount of the stalk end of each sprout, and cut them into halves (for smaller sprouts) or quarters (for larger ones). 

4) While the sprouts and pasta are cooking, you can make the sauce. Add the soaked almonds and broth along with all of the rest of the sauce ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend for at least 2 minutes until very smooth. It will not be a thick sauce.

5) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a casserole dish (13x9 glass or a taller 7x10), place the drained pasta and sliced brussel sprouts. Add the sauce mixture and gently stir to coat everything. Liberally add breadcrumbs to the entire top of the casserole (you may have more than you need). Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with additional homemade parmesan cheese, desired. 

* I have not tried this with brown rice pasta yet, but I'm sure it would be delicious as well.

This recipe is brought to you by Mrs. Plant with products sent to her from Gloriously Vegan.

Herbed Mushroom Gravy [oil-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan]

24 oz. Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, diced finely
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 t dried rosemary (short-cut)
1 pinch of thyme (I'm not a huge fan of thyme!)
3/4-1 t salt
black pepper to taste
2 dashes of Liquid Smoke
1 t Kitchen Bouquet (optional)
1 T cornstarch + 1 T cold water

Cook the onion in a non-stick skillet with a little water over med-high heat until translucent and tender. Add the mushrooms, garlic, liquid smoke, rosemary, and thyme and COVER. Cook for about 5-6 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked down and tender. There should be quite a bit of liquid, which is good. Don't try to cook off the excess. Add the salt, pepper, and kitchen bought and stir well. Mix up the cornstarch and cold water and stir in to thicken. Add ore salt and pepper to taste.

Mushroom Farro and Brown Rice

If you don't have farro, just double the brown rice. It's better with the mixed grains, but still delicious with only rice.

1 cup brown rice, rinsed well
1 cup farro (this is a delightful whole grain!)
3 cups vegetable broth
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 t salt
2 shallots, chopped finely
18-24 oz Cremini mushrooms
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
green onions, chopped (optional)

Add brown rice, farro, vegetable broth, garlic, and salt to pressure cooker. Cook for 22 minutes on high pressure with natural release.
While grains are cooking, place shallots in a large skillet or wok and steamfry with a little water until translucent. Add chopped mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until the moisture is release and mostly evaporated. Add in the baby spinach, cover, and cook about 4-5 more minutes, stirring every minute or so. Turn heat off. Open pressure cooker, fluff the grains, and add them to the skillet/wok. Stir to combine well. Serve warm with green onions for garnish.

ThanksLIVING - How to Celebrate Thanksgiving as a Vegan

NOTE: I will be adding more recipes below in the next 2 weeks, so keep checking back!

We are celebrating our 7th Thanksgiving this year as plant-based lifestylers! What a blessing it is to experience freedom from so many health issues and doing the best we can to avoid others. Every Thanksgiving, we have A LOT to be thankful for!

For the holidays, I will admit our menus are not 100% whole foods plant-based oil-free. We do try to healthify recipes, but honestly, our line is drawn at animal foods. We will only eat foods made from plants, but some of it is not as healthy as we would eat most days. Some of the food we eat is homemade and some is store-bought. So, I am going to give you a basic idea of how we've done it in the past and will probably continue to do Thanksgiving for years to come.

For the TURKEY REPLACEMENT, we like to either have one of these three options:
1) Gardein Savory Stuffed Turk'y Roasts - They come 2 to a pack and one is plenty per person. They are stuffed with a delicious stuffing. This is a processed plant-based meat alternative, so it is not a health food. But, we do indulge in these at Thanksgiving. They are great for people transitioning to a plant-based diet and also for omnivores--who will be blown away at how good they are. Just make sure to bake them in a preheated oven at the temperature recommended. These can be found at Sprouts, Kroger, Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, and several other places around the holidays.

2) Gardein Turk'y Cutlets - These are our kids' favorite. They're thinly sliced turk'y cutlets that are breaded with a crispy coating. They come with rosemary gravy packets. DELISH! The serving is 2 cutlets with gravy and there are 2 servings in the bag. These can be found at Sprouts, Kroger, Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, and several other places around the holidays.

3) Turkey-Less Soy Curls and Gravy Over Savory Cornbread - Last year, I came up with this recipe in order to serve something a bit more homemade and less processed. It was delicious! If you're looking for something to stay closer to your whole foods plant-based food plan, this is a better choice!

Another MAIN DISH idea is:
Instant Pot Vegan Soy Curls Pot Pie with Oil-Free Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits


SIDES are easy! You can usually convert most of your favorite Thanksgiving sides without issue. Here are some of our favorites:

Green Bean Casserole

Savory Fall Feast

Homemade Pressure-Cooked Applesauce

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (NOT the kind with marshmallows!)

Oil-Free Sweet and Salty Maple Carrots - From p. 105 in Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Unlike the recipe, I like to steam my carrots for about 5 minutes first, then place them in a foil-lined pan covered with more foil. Add some maple syrup and kosher salt and roast until tender. They are literally fabulous!

Beet and Beet Greens Salad - This is one of our FAVORITE salads! It's fabulous ANY time, but also a perfect dish for the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter!). A version of this salad is also in the Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease cookbook.

Fire Brigade Stuffing - This makes a HUGE batch, so reduce if necessary. Go with no more than 1/2 cup of the tawny port wine. It can be overpowering.



And DESSERTS, too!

Pumpkin Pie Snack Balls

Chloe Coscarelli's 5-Ingredient Apple Pie - You can easily sub the Wholly Wholesome whole wheat crust (or make your own!) and use whole wheat flour in the recipe.

Peanut Butter Caramel Apples

PlantPure Chef's Mom's Refrigerated Chocolate Pie - This recipe is STUNNING! It's our absolute fave! You can add homemade natural peanut butter to it for a "Reece's" effect! I would leave out the cinnamon either way.

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Turkey-Less (Soy Curls) and Gravy Over Savory Cornbread

RECIPE UPDATED 12-23-2020

Savory Cornbread Recipe:
NOTE: You can make this ahead of time and freeze in squares for future use. Just make sure to wrap each piece well with plastic wrap. Just re-warm in oven or toaster oven for about 5 minutes on 325 degrees.

1 1/2 cups FINE yellow corn meal
1 cup spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 T coconut sugar
1 teaspoon salt (or less, if desired)
1/4 t. of each of the following spices: sage, rosemary, thyme
1/4 cup RAW cashew butter, almond butter, or tahini
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
3 T ground flaxseed
1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix together the corn meal, flour, baking powder, coconut sugar, salt, and spices.
In another bowl, whisk together the nut/seed butter, applesauce, non-dairy milk, and ground flaxseeds. Fold in the corn. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Do NOT overmix!
Pour mixture into a 9x12 glass baking dish.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until just firm to the touch. Serve.

Prepare the Soy Curls:
Soak 4 cups of soy curls in warm water for 10 minutes.
Drain and squeeze out WELL.
In 2-3 batches, place in blender and blend on the LOWEST speed for 10 seconds, just until minimally shredded OR just chop finely by hand. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Prepare the Gravy:
(Modified based on gravy recipe by Brand New Vegan)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 t dried rosemary (optional)
1/2 t dried thyme (optional)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp Kitchen Bouquet (to create the rich brown color)

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, place all of the dry ingredients. Gently stir until you smell the aroma of all of the ingredients (about 2 minutes). Increase the heat to medium, and slowly add in the vegetable broth, whisking constantly. When all of the flour and veggie broth are incorporated, add in the soy sauce, mustard, and Kitchen Bouquet. Continue whisking, while raising the heat slightly. Once the sauce is at a low boil, keep the temperature stable while you whisk. The gravy should thicken in just a minute or two. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add in your drained and shredded soy curls. Serve over the warmed Savory Cornbread with any green vegetable on the side.

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Mrs. Plant's Instant Pot Hoppin' John

NOTE: It is essential that you use black-eyed peas that have been soaked in water for at least 8 hours before making this dish. I bought pre-soaked black-eyed peas from Sprouts in their refrigerated section. They only carry them for New Year's!

1 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, chopped small
3 stalks of celery, chopped small
5 small cloves of garlic, minced
1 large bunch of chard (or other green), chopped finely
1 t Liquid Smoke
2 t McCormick’s Salt-Free Garlic and Herb Seasoning
1 t dried rosemary
8 oz. of black-eyed peas, soaked overnight
1 cup wild rice mix (I got mine in the bulk bins at Sprouts and it had 2 kinds of brown rice, black wild rice, and red rice in it)
1 15-oz can of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
4 cups of vegetable broth
1/4 - 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast flakes (depending on how much you like nutritional yeast)
Additional water
Salt to taste

Using the sauté feature (click on adjust to HIGH) on the Instant Pot, steamfry the onions, celery, and carrots with a little bit of water or broth until the onions become translucent.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and add additional water about 1 inch above all of the ingredients.
Seal the top, click the BEAN/CHILI button, and adjust the time to 25 minutes (instead of the default 30). Allow the Instant Pot to come down from pressure naturally.
The stew should be creamy and tasty, and the black-eyed peas and rice should be very tender.

Peanut Butter "Caramel" Apples

Peanut Butter "Caramel" Apples -- inspired by a recipe in the Forks Over Knives magazine. It called for brown rice syrup, but we used date syrup instead. STUNNING! [photo credit: my son who is messing with a new photo app!]

This is how we made ours...

1/3 cup natural, homemade peanut butter (SOS-free!)
2 T date syrup
3 Fuji apples, washed and dried well
chopped dry-roasted peanuts
3 forks

Wash and dry each apple well and spear each one with a fork. Place the peanut butter into a very small bowl. Then, warm the date syrup in another tiny bowl in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds so it's thin and runny. Mix it into the peanut butter. Hold a fork-speared apple, and gently spread the peanut butter mixture on it in, then roll in chopped peanuts.

Inspired by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

No-Bake Holiday Snack Dots

It's hard to say NO to every sweet around you during the holiday season. For me, having a good alternative usually suffices. I whipped up this healthy treat for those times that we feel like we want junk but would rather not go there!

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
6-8 Medjool dates (depending on how sweet you want these), pitted
2 T cocoa powder
3 T Naked PB peanut butter powder or other peanut butter powder without added salt, oil, or sugar (if possible)
2 T walnuts
2 T raw pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 t hazelnut extract (or vanilla extract, if you can't find hazelnut extract)
1-2 pinches of salt
a few tablespoons of non-dairy milk

Put all ingredients in a food processor EXCEPT the non-dairy milk. Pulse until combined. Add the non-dairy milk 1 T at a time until the mixture comes together like a course dough. Use a 1 T cookie scoop or  your hands to shape balls. Place on parchment paper and chill in the fridge before serving.


Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Savory Fall Feast

4 cups Brussel sprouts (halved)
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 Hannah sweet potato (beige on outside, white flesh on inside), cubed
1 Fuji apple, peeled and cubed
2 cloves garlic, crushed1/4 cup fruit juice-sweetened dried cranberries
1 T maple syrup
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t sage
1/2 t rosemary
1/4 t thyme
1/4 t black pepper
salt, to taste
1/2 cup vegetable broth
pomegranate arils to garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Add all ingredients into a large bowl and stir to combine well. Place all ingredients into a metal 13x9 pan with about 1/2 cup veggie broth in the bottom. Roast for about 40 minutes, stirring often, until everything is tender and browned around the edges. Add a bit more broth if necessary. Garnish with fresh pomegranate arils. 

The Cheese Trap: Herbed Cheese Ball

Dreena Burton has done it yet AGAIN with her party-friendly Herbed Cheese Ball recipe. This is just one of many recipes in the all-new The Cheese Trap by Dr. Neal Barnard, my hero. This rich, tasty ball of pleasure will convert any cheese addict to the bright side!

I made this "cheese" ball for our recent potluck dinner, and it was leveled before dinner started. I served it with Trader's Joe's Whole Wheat Lavash Bread, which I cut into small rectangles and baked (no oil!) in the oven at 325 degrees until crispy (8-12 minutes, depending on your oven. They were the perfect cheese vehicle!

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required. 

VegWorld Magazine Contributing Chef: Creamy Potato Casserole

Check out my holiday recipe in the latest issue of www.vegworldmag.com !

Remember the potato casserole your co-worker or friend made and brought to the holiday potluck every year? It certainly was luscious, but loaded with fat from cheese and sour cream. This Creamy Potato Casserole won’t have you leaving the party feeling guilty. It’s made from all plant-based ingredients and is the perfect swap-out for any potluck or holiday gathering.

Creamy Potato Casserole:
Two 16 oz. bags of frozen oil-free shredded potatoes
1 onion, diced finely (optional)
1/2 cup slivered, blanched almonds (soaked in water for at least 30 minutes beforehand, then drained)
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup unsweetened, non-dairy milk (soy or almond work best)
1 T white or yellow miso paste (found at Sprouts, Whole Foods, or an Asian store in the refrigerated section)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 t. black pepper
1/2 t. salt
1- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat panko (or other) breadcrumbs
Additional salt to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

(optional step) In a small nonstick skillet, steamfry the diced onion until tender. Add water if the onions begin to stick to the pan.

Place frozen shredded potatoes in a large colander. Run cold (do not use warm!) water over them and gently jiggle the colander to ensure even coverage. After about 30 seconds, check to see if all of the potato shreds are thawed. If not, continue running water for a few more seconds until the shreds are completely thawed. Gently squeeze out excess water well from the potatoes in handfuls, transferring to a large bowl.

Transfer cooked onions to the bowl with the potatoes (if using).

In a blender, combined the soaked, drained almonds, vegetable broth, non-dairy milk, miso paste, and seasonings. Blend into a smooth mixture. Add the sauce to the bowl of potatoes and onions, and stir well to coat.

Transfer the potato mixture to a 13x9 glass baking pan. Spread evenly. Evenly sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the entire top of the casserole. If desired, as a small sprinkling of salt over the breadcrumbs. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil covering and bake for 10 more minutes to allow breadcrumbs to lightly brown.

Pumpkin Pie Snack Balls

UPDATED: 10/17/16
1/4 cup raw almonds
1 cup oats
12 Medjool dates, pitted (make sure they're soft and not coming right from the refrigerator)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. allspice (optional)
1/4 t. salt

In a food processor, process the almonds with the S-blade into tiny pieces. Add the oats and pulse them a few times. Move mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Add dates, pumpkin, and spices/salt to the food processor. Process until fairly smooth (some small pieces of date are fine). Add to the mixing bowl. Stir to combine all of the ingredients together well with a wooden spoon. With clean hands or gloved hands, make balls and place them on waxed paper-covered plate or tray. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.

Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce (made in the pressure cooker!)

3 lbs of Fuji apples, cored (but not peeled) and chopped into 1" chunks
1/2 cup unsweetened natural apple juice
1/4 cup date sugar
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. pumpkin pie spice

Add all ingredients into pressure cooker inner pot. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes with QUICK RELEASE. Blend with immersion blender (right in the pot!).

All Thanksgiving 2016 recipes have been added to my NOTES section for future reference.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/mrs-plant/holiday-recipes-2016/701479776672276

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS!

Our favorite banana slicer! We use it EVERYDAY!

I've added several more of my favorite kitchen gadgets/products to my recommendations page. These are all wonderful products that have made my life easier! Everything from the convection toaster oven we have (and the one we used to have--both of which we love!) to a cheap gadget to take the skins off garlic. I've listed great options for stocking stuffers to appreciated appliances!
ENJOY!

Plant-Pure Nation Cookbook: Irish Potatoes and Cabbage

When I buy a cookbook, I leaf through and file recipes in the back of my mind that I KNOW I'm going to make first. One of those was the Irish Potatoes with Cabbage in the PlantPure Nation Cookbook. I love the ingredients and just knew the flavors and textures melded together would be superb. I was RIGHT! It's the perfect dish for a chilly evening at home.

The only modifications I made were the following:
1) I added 2 large carrots to the recipe
2) I peeled the potatoes and carrots, and I chopped the potatoes them into approximately 1-inch chunks and the carrots into 1/2-inch chunks. 

3) Then, I placed the carrot and potato chunks in the pressure cooker with about 1 cup of water, set it to 3 minutes on pressure, and did a quick release. 

4) Finally, I used my Breville All-in-One ricer attachment and quickly (maybe 3 or 4 times) blended the potatoes and carrots, leaving some chunks.

I followed the rest of the recipe to the letter. This would work well as a holiday side dish or as a main dish for dinner. 

Tastes-Like-Raisinettes Cookies

These are, by far, my husband's favorite cookies. The nutrition profile is pretty healthy for a dessert. I'm still working on reducing the refined sugar. Hope to have a super healthified version coming soon. in the meantime...you have to make a batch of these. SO delish!

1 cup spelt or whole wheat flour

1⁄3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 t baking powder

1⁄4 t (rounded) baking soda

1⁄4 cup raisins

1⁄4 cup vegan (dairy-free) chocolate chips

3 T raw sugar (I used coconut sugar)

1⁄4 t salt

1⁄3 cup + 1 T pure maple syrup or coconut nectar

1 t blackstrap molasses

1 1⁄2 t pure vanilla extract

1⁄8 cup warm water (plus a bit more if needed to bring dough together)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.

In a bowl, combine the flour, oats, and cocoa, sifting in the baking powder and baking soda.

Add the raisins, chips, sugar, and salt, and stir well.

Add the maple syrup, molasses, vanilla, and water to the dry ingredients. Stir until just incorporated. Place spoonfuls of the batter (about 1 tablespoon each) on the prepared baking sheet and flatten a little (if desired). Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven, let cool on the pan for just a minute (not much longer, to prevent drying), then transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before eating.
NOTE: Store in an airtight container, and warm in the microwave or toaster oven before eating if not freshly made.

Thanksgiving: Pumpkin Pie

Crust:  
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup pitted dates (packed)
1/3 cup almond butter
2 T nondairy milk
1/8 t sea salt
1/2 t. cinnamon

Filling:  
1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree
3/4 cup raw walnuts
1/3 cup plain unsweetened non­-dairy milk  
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or date syrup
1 t lemon juice
1 T cornstarch
2 t pumpkin pie spice
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 t salt

Heat oven to 375°F. degrees.
For the crust, use a food processor to process the rolled oats and dates into a fine, crumbly  texture. Add the almond butter and process for about a minute. Add the non­dairy milk and salt.  Pulse until the mixture comes together without crumbling.  If it’s not holding together, add more  non­dairy milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Transfer to a pie plate. Press mixture into pie plate evenly  around the base and up the sides. Set aside.    Now, let’s make the filling. In a blender, combine pumpkin puree, nuts, ⅓ cup non­dairy, maple  syrup, lemon juice and cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and ¼ teaspoon salt, blend with  medium speed until smooth.  Fill pie crust and distribute filling evenly with rubber spatula.     Bake 20 minutes, until the pie is golden (the center may be soft, but it will set further as it cools).  Transfer pie to a cooling rack. Cool completely and chill in fridge for several hours before slicing and serving.

Adapted from Dreena  Burton’s Great Pumpkin Pie recipe, which was tweaked by Jill Ann McKeever of Simple Daily Recipes, and then retweaked again by Mrs. Plant. :-)

Thanksgiving: Forks Over Knives Fire-Brigade Stuffing

This is 100% NOT my recipe, but it is 100% always going to be on my Thanksgiving table! A couple years back, I saw this on the Forks Over Knives website, and it sounded like something my family would love. It is officially one of our main dishes every year. It's a huge recipe, so half or quarter it for smaller gatherings. You know that Esselstyn family...it's HUGE!

NOTE: We leave the port wine out. Didn't like it with it. Add more veggie broth.

http://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/fire-brigade-stuffing/

Thanksgiving: Acorn Squash with Cranberry Apple Quinoa

This genuinely delightful replacement for an animal-based entree will be the highlight of your holiday table. This rustic beauty is colorful, tasty, and filling. Trust me. You won't miss the meat.

1/2 cup white quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup red quinoa, rinsed
1 cup orange juice
2 cups apple juice or cider
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 acorn squash
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried apples, diced
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Rinse quinoa well in a fine-guage strainer with cool water. Then, toast quinoa in a dry, heavy-bottomed pot for about 3 minutes. Add orange juice, apple juice, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F. Cut each acorn squash in half and place cut-side UP in a baking dish. Bake 1 hour or until tender. While squash bakes, steamfry onion (without oil or butter!), carrot, and celery over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Add vegetables to the simmering quinoa, along with the dried cranberries, apples and maple syrup.

Simmer the aromatic mixture for 10-20 more minutes, at which point the quinoa should be fully cooked and hold together like sticky rice. If there is extra fluid remaining, remove lid and slowly cook out the fluid on low. Remove from heat and stir in sliced almonds.

Turn the squash cut-side up and fill each half with 1/4 of the quinoa mixture and return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.

Serves 4.

Thanksgiving: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Instead of those marshmallow-y, overly sugary sweet potatoes this year, why not try something healthier?

6 medium-sized sweet potatoes
8-oz can of crushed pineapple (in its own juice), drained well
1 t. cinnamon
2 t. coconut sugar
1/2 cup pecans (chopped finely)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Arrange the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.
Cut a slit into the top of each potato. Carefully scoop out the pulp from the potato, leaving the skins intact; place the potato in a large bowl. Add the pineapple, coconut sugar, and cinnamon to the potato and stir together. Stuff the potato mixture back into the reserved potato skins. Sprinkle the pecans over each potato.
Return the stuffed potato skins to the oven; bake another 12 minutes.