Fall Hazelnut Panzanella

A delicious stuffing/panzanella hybrid, this healthy fall salad full of tangy sautéed mushrooms and crispy kale makes the perfect Thanksgiving side. Vegan.

Panzanella is one of my favorite summertime salads, so I thought, why not make a fall version using some stuffing-esque ingredients? Instead of juicy tomatoes, I sautéed some mushrooms and added tangy dried cranberries. Instead of sweet basil, I used woodsy sage. I normally toss pine nuts in my panzanella, but hazelnuts have been my nut of choice this fall, so I toasted those up instead. I tossed it all with grilled bread and a tangy vinaigrette and served it alongside grilled salmon. Jack’s conclusion (as we devoured the whole bowl) was “well it’s not stuffing, and it’s not panzanella… but it’s…

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Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup

A creamy, Thai-spiced pumpkin soup made with coconut milk and red curry paste. Vegan, gluten free, easy, and warming on fall evenings.

Soup was probably the reason I started cooking… and at first, it was just a Sunday thing. Weekday cooking didn’t stand a chance. After a hectic work day, I wanted nothing but to sit down at a restaurant and have someone bring me food. But on lazy Sunday afternoons, I started to enjoy the peaceful process of chopping and stirring (with a glass of red wine nearby)… and all the warm fuzzy feelings that come with making soup. To me, Sunday soup making became the calm before the storm… a necessary rejuvenating time before a new crazy week would begin. Pumpkin…

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Homemade Cornbread Stuffing

Poblano peppers spice up this sweet & savory homemade cornbread stuffing recipe. Not a fan of spice? Don't worry. It's just as good without them.

vegan / gluten free / thanksgiving

What are your family’s Thanksgiving traditions? We always have a turkey, of course, along with green beans, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Oh, and there’s always Jello (and not for dessert… it’s “dinner Jello”). But my favorite part is the stuffing. I’m a huge fan of traditional versions made with crusty bread (see here and here), but this year, I’m changing things up by adding this lightly spicy poblano cornbread stuffing to our Thanksgiving table. What’s in This Cornbread Stuffing Recipe? This homemade cornbread stuffing is a delicious mix of classic stuffing ingredients plus a few extras for a spicy…

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Sweet Potato Surprise

A creamy noodle casserole with mac n' cheese style vegan sweet potato sauce. Spinach, shallot, scallions + sage are baked in for extra nutrients and flavor!

vegan / gluten free / favorite

I first made this months ago with the very first butternut squash of the season. I had decided ahead of time that it would be a “non-photo” night since casseroles are not the easiest subject matter. Of course, after we made it, I was regretting not having the camera out because it tasted way too good not to share. For the second go-around, I made it with sweet potatoes only because that had a better ring than “butternut squash surprise.” If you’re vegan, this will taste like a baked mac and cheese. If you’re not vegan, it will just taste…

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Roasted Squash with Apple Salsa

Sweet winter squash are topped with a crisp and tangy fall apple-jalapeño-lime salsa. Serve for a unique Thanksgiving side or a healthy vegan and GF main!

fall / vegan / gluten free

My mom is in town visiting this week. Usually she comes bearing a pile of recipe clippings that she’s been collecting for weeks leading up to the trip. I’ve been stuck in a bit of a “same-ingredient” rut lately, so I was really looking forward to someone else just telling me what to make. But this time she showed up empty-handed and said, “I’m here to eat what you make – you know, all of those recipes you post that I never get to eat because I’m not close enough to stop by for dinner.” So I sat down and…

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Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

A hearty & healthy vegetarian and GF main for Thanksgiving! Squash is stuffed with a spiced kale and quinoa sauté with pepitas for crunch and feta for tang.

fall / gluten free / thanksgiving

My idea of a vegetarian Thanksgiving looks something like this: seasonal acorn squash stuffed with a sauté of quinoa and kale that’s kicked up a notch with scallions, tangy feta, sweet currants, and toasty pumpkin seeds. A colorful & hearty meal that doesn’t sacrifice on flavor. With all of the great produce this time of year, who really needs turkey and mashed white potatoes? (ok, just kidding, don’t answer that…)

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Spicy Seared Okra

One of the best okra recipes out there! Simply sautéed with jalapeño, nuts, tomatoes & garlic, okra becomes an addictive dish you won't stop craving.

summer / vegan / gluten free

I realize that it’s Halloween, and okra is not exactly candy. But this simple recipe is so good, you’ll crave it like chocolate. Ok, maybe that’s a stretch, but you’ll crave it nonetheless. Okra is something that’s completely new to me. I’ve been living here in Texas for a while now, but have never been inclined to give this humble vegetable a try until I had it at this summer at Contigo. Their preparation is pretty straightforward: oil, garlic… cook them over high heat so they get that nice char without becoming slimy. The genius part is the way they…

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Roasted Sweet Potato & Cranberry Salad

A hearty salad filled with wheat berries & roasted sweet potatoes tossed with greens & a warming apple cider-cinnamon dressing. A healthy fall side or main.

fall / vegetarian / salads

In one version or another, we’ve probably eaten this salad five times in the last couple of weeks. I know everyone’s sort of hooked on sweet potatoes at the moment, and I guess I’m no different… Two things I love most about sweet potatoes are: 1. They take less strength and finger-losing risk than butternut squash, and 2. Once you pop them in the oven, the house almost instantly smells like Thanksgiving. Now that it’s been a little bit colder here, this has been the perfect soul-warming kind of meal to cozy up to with a bottle of red wine.

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Mushroom & Edamame Quinoa Fried “Rice”

A veggie- & protein-packed Quinoa Fried Rice from Keys to the Kitchen by Aida Mollenkamp! A healthy, easy vegetarian weeknight dinner. Gluten free.

dairy free / gluten free / keys to the kitchen

Time to get excited – I have another giveaway! Aida Mollenkamp’s new book, Keys to the Kitchen, is a new food bible. I planned to post this yesterday, but the book has so much that summing it up in a post is a nearly impossible task. In fact, it took me about 20 minutes to explain why I love this book to Jack (and I talk fast, so you don’t want to know how long a post that would be). Simply put, the book is beautiful, informative, helpful, and will make anyone, at any skill level, a better cook for…

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Roasted Beet Salad with Pears and Walnuts

This roasted beet salad gets a pop from tangy feta and balsamic dressing. We love it as a fall starter or packed up for a weekday lunch!

fall / salads / gluten free

Let’s talk about beets, shall we? A hearty root vegetable, they’re available pretty much all year round, but they’re best June through October. I picked up some gorgeous ones at our farmers market last week and decided they would go perfectly with some ripening pears that were sitting on my countertop in this roasted beet salad recipe. To balance all of the sweetness, I added some tangy feta and toasty walnuts. Beet Salad Recipe Tips This sweet & savory fall salad is a delicious starter or meal, but if you’ve never worked with beets before, there are a few things you…

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Roasted Cauliflower Hazelnut Salad

I love eating this spiced cauliflower salad at the holidays. It's filled with juicy pomegranates, crunchy hazelnuts, fresh parsley, and crisp celery.

vegan / gluten free

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the US release of Ottolenghi’s newest book, Jerusalem… So I couldn’t have been more excited the day it showed up on my doorstep last week. I don’t know how you like to approach a new cookbook, but I like to start with a fast flip… trying to devour as much as I can all at one time. Later on during my second pass, I’ll settle down and take in the stories, reading through the recipes much more carefully than I did the first time around… This time I fast-flipped, intently…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.