Winter

Dip Trio: 3 No-Cook 5 Ingredient Dip Recipes

ALL, Appetizer, Snack, Winter14

Looking for easy dip options for The Big Game  or a way to help eat up an entire vegetable tray? Look no further than these 5 ingredient dip recipes!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Earthbound Farm. The opinions and text are all mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that make VV possible.

It’s that time again – time for another football season to be over (yassss) – jk jk! What I mean to say is that it’s time for football’s annual grand finale – the Super Bowl! And we all know that the best part about the Super Bowl is the food you serve during it (because, let’s be honest, even the commercials have been lackluster in recent years). Oh and if football isn’t your thing (raises hand) then there is always the annual Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet which helps shelter dogs find forever homes while also supplying all of it’s viewers with a healthy dose of adorable puppy watching. Win-win? I think so!

5 ingredient dip recipes

To prepare for the festivities, I’ve created 3 easy dips so you can have a big dip spread ready for your guests in no time. And to make it even easier, I’ve created them with Earthbound Farm’s organic vegetable tray in mind so you don’t have to waste precious time choosing and chopping veggies for the table. Instead, take 20 or so minutes to whip up these easy dips and dig right in!

The vegetable trays feature organic carrots, organic broccoli, organic celery sticks, and organic tomatoes which will give your dip table a nice variety of texture, color, and dipping options! I also love how the tray already has all the vegetables in easily “dippable” form so you can keep it simple and not have to worry about putting out utensils for your guests.

Next we are going to talk about the dips but first I wanted to note that I don’t include salt and pepper when I say these are all only 5 ingredients because…well you all should have salt and pepper on hand already! And there are a few options where I’ll suggest drizzling the top with olive oil to really give the dip an extra ‘wow’ factor but it’s not required for a delicious dip.

5 ingredient dip recipes

Okay! First up on my 5 ingredient dip recipes list is this Buffalo Blue Cheese Artichoke Dip. The artichokes really give it some body while the tangy buffalo sauce and pungent blue cheese give this dip a ton of flavor. It was inspired by buffalo wings with blue cheese sauce but think of it without the meat and in dip form!

5 ingredient dip recipes
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Buffalo Blue Cheese Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 6 oz canned artichoke hearts drained and chopped
  • 1 Tbsp buffalo sauce + more for topping
  • 2 Tbsp crumbled blue cheese + more for topping
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • optional: olive oil for drizzling on top
Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together cream cheese, yogurt, artichoke hearts, buffalo sauce, and blue cheese.

  2. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

  3. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil (optional), buffalo sauce, and a few sprinkles of blue cheese.

5 ingredient dip recipes

Next we have an easy Spicy White Bean Romesco (red pepper) sauce which will not only be a delicious addition to your table but will also give an extra pop of color! I wanted to include at least one vegan dip in this trio and also made sure to include the white beans for a little protein.

Oh – also! Like beans in your dip? Make sure to check out my 7 hummus recipe round-up for more vegetable tray dip inspo!

5 ingredient dip recipes
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Spicy White Bean Romesco (Red Pepper) Sauce
Ingredients
  • 1 15.5 oz can white beans drained and rinsed
  • 12 oz roasted red peppers drained and rinsed
  • 2 Tbsp harissa paste (you can add more or less depending on how spicy you like things)
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice (from 1 freshly squeezed lemon)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • optional: olive oil (for topping)
Instructions

  1. Transfer all ingredients into a food processor and process until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

  2. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil (optional) and a few turns of freshly ground pepper.

5 ingredient dip recipes

Finally, we have a fun riff on traditional pimento dip with this Smoked Gouda Pimento spread! The smoky flavor from the smoked Gouda brings a whole new flavor to this dish while still having a little tang from the pickles and creaminess from the mayo.

5 ingredient dip recipes
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Smoked Gouda Pimento Dip
Ingredients
  • 1/2 pound smoked gouda shredded
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp chopped pimento
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp finely diced dill pickle or relish
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, fold all the ingredients into each other until completely combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

  2. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve right away.

5 ingredient dip recipes

And there you have it – my favorite 5 ingredient dip recipes! Which dip will you be making for Superbowl Sunday and/or how will you use up your entire tray of Earthbound Farm organic vegetables?! Tell me in the comments below or over on Instagram!

Buffalo Cauliflower Bowl with Greek Yogurt Ranch and Spicy Quick Slaw

ALL, Entree, Salad, Sauce, Winter51

This Buffalo Cauliflower Bowl with Greek Yogurt Ranch and Spicy Quick Slaw is an easy and quick veg-packed meal perfect for lunch or dinner! All the components can be made ahead of time for a quick weekday meal.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bowl

I’m going to go ahead and guess that you are here today because you got your fill on holiday sweets and are ready for something a little bit healthier? Am I right? Well good because you’ve come to the right place! Am I wrong? Well whoops – I’m glad you are here anyway!

Normally this time of year I’m just posting soup recipe after soup recipe but all I’ve been craving lately are big veggie-packed bowls. Instead of making a big batch of soup for the week, I’ve been roasting veggies, boiling a few servings of grains, and mixing up an easy dressing to enjoy during the week.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bowl

And one of the bowls I’ve been making on repeat lately has been this Buffalo Cauliflower Bowl with Greek Yogurt Ranch and Spicy Quick Slaw. All the components are easy to make ahead of time (just warm up the cauliflower and grains when ready to eat) so making a healthy meal has never been easier.

I happened to have had a batch of rice already made when I shot this bowl so it’s what I used but I also love this bowl with quinoa for an extra protein boost. And if you need even more protein, I bet some stew-y black beans would work great with this to give it a Mexican-burrito-bowl-vibe.

For the slaw, I used pickled jalapenos as I find them to blend better into the overall flavor of the acidic slaw but you could use fresh if you like things extra spicy.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bowl
Buffalo Cauliflower Bowl
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Buffalo Cauliflower Bowl with Greek Yogurt Ranch and Spicy Quick Slaw

This Buffalo Cauliflower Bowl with Greek Yogurt Ranch and Spicy Quick Slaw is an easy and quick veg-packed meal perfect for lunch or dinner! All the components can be made ahead of time for a quick weekday meal.

Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the buffalo cauliflower
  • 1 head cauflower trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup buffalo sauce + more for brush at the end
For the Greek Yogurt Ranch
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives or scallions
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • dash of pepper
For the Spicy Quick Slaw
  • 1/2 red cabbage head thinly sliced
  • 1 red pepper thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • dash of black pepper
Everything else:
  • 4 cups cooked rice or quinoa
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp chopped chives or scallions
Instructions
For the buffalo cauliflower:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add cauliflower to baking sheet and toss with 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Bake for 20 minutes or until starting to brown in spots.

  2. Toss the cooked cauliflower with 1/4 cup buffalo sauce and continue to make for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and taste. Brush with more buffalo sauce if you’d like it spicier.

For the Greek Yogurt Ranch:

  1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, buttermilk, 1 Tbsp fresh chives, garlic powder, onion powder, and a dash of pepper.

For the Spicy Quick Slaw:

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, honey, 1/2 tsp salt, and dash of black pepper. Add cabbage and red pepper to the bowl and toss to coat.

To assemble:

  1. Divide the rice between 4 serving bowls and spread to cover the bottom of each bowl. Top each bowl with 1/4 of the spicy slaw, buffalo cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, and scallions/chives. Drizzle with greek yogurt ranch and serve right away.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bowl

What have been some of your favorite healthy meals to make in the new year? Tell me in the comments below or over on Instagram!

24 Easy Vegetarian Recipes For A Veg Filled January

ALL, Entree, Round-Up, Winter144

Looking to incorporate more veggies and plant-based food into your diet? Look no further as I’ve got 24 easy vegetarian recipes that are packed with flavor without the meat:

This Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad With Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette is a hearty savory winter salad with a touch of sweet from the apples and cranberries.

Looking for a munchies recipe to make for your next movie marathon or game night? These Smoky Quinoa Vegetarian Nachos are easy to make, addicting, and super versatile so you can easily adapt the recipe to what you like most about nachos (cheese…lots of melty cheese).

Vegan Chili Mac

This Vegan Chili Mac recipe from Power Plates is the ultimate comfort food: a vegan hybrid between macaroni and cheese and chili.

Roasted Veggies with Citrus Gremolata and Polenta

This Roasted Veggies with Citrus Gremolata and Polenta is my go-to for a pantry staple dinner. You can mix and match whichever veggies, beans, and sauce options you have on hand to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less!

Cauliflower Steak with Carrot Miso Puree & Carrot-top Pesto

This Cauliflower Steak with Carrot Miso Puree & Carrot-top Pesto is a total show stopper!

Buddha Bowl With Poblano Tahni Sauce

This Buddha Bowl with Poblano Tahini Sauce is from Mostly Plants: 101 Flexitarian Recipes with the Pollan Family. It’s perfect for an easy dinner or meal prep it ahead of time to enjoy as a weekday lunch.

This Thai Quinoa Salad is a lunch option – it’s refreshing, packed full of flavor, and can easily be made ahead of time too!

This Vegetarian Butternut Squash Farro Minestrone soup is a perfect cool weather vegetarian main to serve a large crowd or use as leftovers for lunch or dinners throughout the week.

Cauliflower Parmesan

This Cauliflower Parmesan is a winter twist on the classic Eggplant Parmesan dish. This cheesy cauliflower recipe is a perfect vegetarian main for date night or even a weeknight meal.

15 Easy Vegetarian Recipes To Get You Eating More Vegetables

This Walnut Meat Tacos with Peach Tomato Salsa recipe can be made in under 20 minutes and requires minimal cook time!

15 Easy Vegetarian Recipes To Get You Eating More Vegetables

This Purple Corn Veggie Fritters recipe is so easy to make for weeknight dinner and can be altered to fit whatever ingredients you may already have on hand.

15 Easy Vegetarian Recipes To Get You Eating More Vegetables

Pizza time! Make sure to try this homemade Sweet and Savory Vegetarian Potato Grape and Rosemary Pizza Recipe!

15 Easy Vegetarian Recipes To Get You Eating More Vegetables

This Vegetarian Polenta Pizza Stuffed Peppers recipe is the perfect weeknight plant-based meal. Chocked full of vegetables, filling polenta, and gooey cheese, this main is sure to please everyone in your family!

15 Easy Vegetarian Recipes To Get You Eating More Vegetables

These Healthy Vegetarian Lentil-Walnut Meatballs are the perfect meat-free meal. Serve them with spaghetti and your favorite tomato sauce for a hearty main.

15 Easy Vegetarian Recipes To Get You Eating More Vegetables

This Vegetarian Quinoa Taco Meat Tostadas recipe is a quick and simple meat-free weeknight main entree. The quinoa taco meat is a healthy substitute for crumbled beef and a must-try for any vegetarian!

15 Easy Vegetarian Recipes To Get You Eating More Vegetables

These Vegetarian Butternut Squash & White Bean Fritters with Blue Cheese & Walnuts are a quick and flavorful vegetarian meal that can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes.

15 Easy Vegetarian Recipes To Get You Eating More Vegetables

Creamy Vegetarian White Chili recipe that is cozy and filling (with vegan option). Ideal for healthy weeknight meals or chilly afternoons.

15 Easy Vegetarian Recipes To Get You Eating More Vegetables

This Vegan Pumpkin Baked Ziti recipe (from the Veganomicon cookbook) is a hearty vegetarian main dish. It can even be made ahead of time and baked just before serving!

15 Easy Vegetarian Recipes To Get You Eating More Vegetables

This Pumpkin Farro Risotto with Roasted Winter Vegetables is a great vegetarian holiday entree option or the perfect dinner for a chilly winter evening.  

15 Easy Vegetarian Recipes To Get You Eating More Vegetables

This Creamy Quinoa and White Bean Risotto with Crispy Brassica Florets is from The First Mess cookbook. This healthy plant-based main dish is chocked full of protein (from the quinoa and white beans) and satisfyingly creamy.

15 Easy Vegetarian Recipes To Get You Eating More Vegetables

This Vegetarian Baked Ziti With Chorizo-Spiced Chickpeas recipe is packed with vegetables, protein-rich beans, gooey cheese, and deliciously carb-y pasta.

15 Easy Vegetarian Recipes To Get You Eating More Vegetables

This Smoky Vegetarian Red Beans and Rice recipe is loaded with up melt-in-your-mouth vegetables that are tender and packed with flavor.

15 Easy Vegetarian Recipes To Get You Eating More Vegetables

These Curried Veggie Patties with Coconut Quinoa are the perfect meal to throw together when you are trying to get rid of leftover vegetables or just looking to incorporate more veggies into your diet!

These Fried Eggs with Green Tahini and Pita are packed with spices and herbs and make a perfect simple dinner or weekend breakfast for two.

I hope these 24 easy vegetarian recipes have inspired you to create more veg-packed meals this month!

Cardamom Orange Sour Cream Cookies with Candied Citrus Peel

ALL, Sweets, Winter43

These Cardamom Orange Sour Cream Cookies with Candied Citrus Peel are a must for your holiday cookie tray! The cookies are soft with a touch of tang and don’t require you to roll out the dough or even chill it!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Bob’s Red Mill. The opinions and text are all mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that make VV possible.

Cardamom Orange Sour Cream Cookies

Dang! Christmas is SIX days away? Where did December go?? Can I be honest with you? This holiday season went by so fast that we didn’t even get around to putting our tree up (eeep!). And I’m not even close to being done with my holiday shopping. The one thing I did make sure I got around to though was making holiday cookies because OF COURSE YOU HAVE TO MAKE HOLIDAY COOKIES! What was that? You didn’t make any yet this year? Fear not because there is still time this weekend to whip up a batch and may I suggest you start with these Cardamom Orange Sour Cream cookies? Think sugar cookies but without the rolling out and chilling and with a pillow-y texture and a slight tang.

People talk about moments sticking with them from their childhood – usually a movie that made an impact or maybe dancing to a favorite song. But a moment I remember vividly from when I was 11 was biting into a pillowy soft cookie that my teacher made and I was floored at how delicious it was. I begged to know what the secret was and you know what she said? Sour cream. Right then and there I made a mental note that I loved sour cream cookies. Now that I’m an adult and have control of my own kitchen, I’ve added sour cream cookies to my normal holiday cookie rotation (and think you probably should too!).

Cardamom Orange Sour Cream Cookies
Cardamom Orange Sour Cream Cookies
Cardamom Orange Sour Cream Cookies

I used Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose flour and Almond Flour in this recipe. The little bit of almond flour helps yield a tender cookie and gives it a slight nutty flavor. You could use festive holiday sprinkles instead of citrus if you didn’t want to make the candied citrus but it brings together the flavors nicely since there is also orange in the cookie. Finally, make sure you let the cookies cool completely before adding the frosting so the frosting doesn’t melt off the cookie.

Cardamom Orange Sour Cream Cookies
Cardamom Orange Sour Cream Cookies
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Almond Cardamom Orange Sour Cream Cookies with Candied Citrus Peel

These Cardamom Orange Sour Cream Cookies with Candied Citrus Peel are a must for your holiday cookie tray! The cookies are soft with a touch of tang and don’t require you to roll out the dough or even chill it!

Ingredients
For the cookies:
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp almond extract (can sub vanilla extract if you’d prefer)
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour
  • 2/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
For the frosting:
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp milk
For the candied citrus:
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
Instructions
For the cookies:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1 Tbsp sugar in a small shallow bowl and set aside.

  2. In a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy and pale in color, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg, almond extract (if using), and orange zest until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream until incorporated.

  3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, almond flour, cardamom, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Slowly pour into the mixer bowl while the mixer is running on low speed and mix until combined.

  4. Drop tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheet, keeping 2 inches in between each cookie. Wet the bottom of a glass with water and dip it into the sugar in the shallow bowl. Press into each cookie to flatten, re-wetting and dipping in sugar after each cookie to keep it from sticking.

  5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until starting to brown around edges. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before adding frosting.

For the frosting

  1. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream butter until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in powdered sugar and vanilla extract until incorporated. Add milk, 1 Tbsp at a time, and beat for an additional 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.

For the citrus peel

  1. Use a peeler to remove off long strips of the orange peel until all of the outer layer is removed. Use a sharp pairing knife to slice peel into 1/4 inch wide strips.

  2. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil over high heat. Add orange peel strips and let boil until translucent, about 10 minutes. Remove peels with a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack, separating each piece so they don’t stick together as they dry.

  3. When ready to assemble. frost each cookie using a spatula and add 3-5 strips of orange peel (depending on how many your orange yielded).

Cardamom Orange Sour Cream Cookies

Cauliflower Parmesan

ALL, Entree, Winter63

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Lucini Italia. The opinions and text are all mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that make VV possible.

This Cauliflower Parmesan is a winter twist on the classic Eggplant Parmesan dish. This cheesy cauliflower recipe is a perfect vegetarian main for date night or even a weeknight meal.

It’s the holiday season (hoop-dee-dooooo!) which means endless cookie trays, gingerbread house building, and holiday party drinking galore! These are all really fun parts of the season but it doesn’t take much to over do them. I don’t know about you but I always wake up craving vegetables after a weekend of sweets and one too many punch bowl cocktails. 

All of this is to say that I’m excited to partner with Lucini Italia on this post to bring you all a veg-packed healthy vegetarian main to enjoy between all the cookie binging. It’s simple enough to enjoy on a weeknight and goes great with a simple side salad. 

This recipe is inspired by an Italian classic – Eggplant Parmesan. The classic isn’t very winter friendly (eggplants and basil in December? Not ideal) so I decided to make a version great for all year round with cauliflower “steaks” and heartier herbs like thyme and oregano. But fear not Eggplant Parmesan purists, it is still chocked full of the best part: cheese and more cheese!

I used Lucini Italia’s Organic Roasted Garlic Marinara in this recipe which I was pleasantly surprised to learn, through working with them on this post, is made using all organic ingredients from one organic tomato farm in Tuscany. It also has no added sugar which is something I’m always looking for when buying store bought items. I also found the sauce to be lighter and taste fresher than other store tomato sauces I’ve purchased before.This is because they use a cooked-once technique which is a rare industry process that allows the ingredients to maintain their fresh flavor (this is in comparison to the cooked-twice method which many brands utilize and involves having the tomatoes cooked / processed when harvested and then cooked / processed again months later when adding additional ingredients). 

In addition to the organic sauce, I used Lucini Italia’s extra virgin olive oil which you can learn more behind the bottle here. I always love seeing exactly where my food is coming from!

To ensure the cauliflower doesn’t fall apart, you need to make pretty thick cuts to create the “steaks” – I’d recommend at least an inch. I cooked the breaded cauliflower on it’s own at first to make sure it’s cooked all the way through before adding the sauce and topping it with all the cheese and baking one final time.

Cauliflower Parmesan
Cauliflower Parmesan
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Cauliflower Parmesan

This Cauliflower Parmesan is a winter twist on the classic Eggplant Parmesan dish. This cheesy cauliflower recipe is a perfect vegetarian main for date night or even a weeknight meal.

Ingredients
For the breaded cauliflower
Everything else:
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan with 1 tsp olive oil.

  2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together 2 eggs and 2 Tbsp water. In another shallow bowl, spread out the panko breadcrumbs. Dip both sides of each cauliflower slice into the egg mixture and then into the panko mixture (making sure it’s completely coated). Repeat with the rest of the cauliflower pieces and place in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil.  

  3. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned and a knife can easily pierce the cauliflower. Remove from oven and transfer breaded cauliflower onto a plate.

  4. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together ricotta, oregano, thyme, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper.

  5. Using the same baking sheet, pour half the jar of marinara sauce in the bottle of the baking sheet and spread out into an even layer. Add cauliflower over the sauce and divide the ricotta evenly over each piece of ricotta. Dot each piece with mozzarella, more marinara (using up the rest of the jar), and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Drizzle it all with 2 Tbsp olive oil.

  6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the top is starting to brown and the sauce is bubbly.

  7. Let cool slightly for five minutes before serving.

Gingerbread Brownie Sundae with Peppermint Stick Ice Cream & Molasses Drizzle

ALL, Entertaining, Sweets, Winter28

These Gingerbread Brownie Sundaes with Peppermint Stick Ice Cream & Molasses Drizzle are a fun and interactive dessert that allows your whole family to come together around the table to assemble their own.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Hudsonville Ice Cream. The opinions and text are all mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that make VV possible.

Gingerbread Brownie Sundae with Peppermint Ice Cream & Molasses Drizzle

Welcome to one of the best seasons of the year (if I do so say myself) – holiday baking season! Although cookies are the go-to, I want to talk to you about making this sundae at your holiday gathering instead this year. The gingerbread brownie pieces in these sundaes allows you to get your cookie fix while taking it to the next level with Hudsvonville ice cream and a molasses drizzle – what’s not to like?? Plus, having a little sundae bar set up at the table will take the pressure off of you and create a fun little interactive station that allows the family to gather around and create their own dessert.

For the ice cream, I used Hudsonville’s seasonal Peppermint Stick ice cream which has an incredibly creamy vanilla base with crush peppermint sticks folded in. It compliments the gingerbread perfectly but is only available during the holiday season which is just one more reason to make these sundaes sooner than later!

As for the molasses drizzle, the holidays are the perfect time to pull out that bottle of molasses that you’ve been hiding in the back of your baking pantry. Instead of making hot fudge, warm molasses slightly (this will thin it out and also create a delicious contrast to the cold ice cream) to drizzle on your sundae.

Gingerbread Brownie Sundae with Peppermint Ice Cream & Molasses Drizzle

Love this holiday recipes and want even more? Luckily for us, Hudsonville Ice cream compiled an entire ebook of holiday dessert recipes! You can download it HERE and receive access to coupons so you can make these recipes for the holidays as well!

Now go prep these Gingerbread brownie sundaes for you and your family to devour while watching your favorite holiday movie (Elf anyone?).

Gingerbread Brownie Sundae with Peppermint Ice Cream & Molasses Drizzle
Gingerbread Brownie Sundae with Peppermint Ice Cream & Molasses Drizzle
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Gingerbread Brownie Sundae with Peppermint Stick Ice Cream & Molasses Drizzle

These Gingerbread Brownie Sundaes with Peppermint Ice Cream & Molasses Drizzle are a fun and interactive dessert that allows your whole family to come together around the table to assemble their own.

Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Brownies:
  • 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • ½ cup molasses
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips I used mini-chips but regular will work too
Everything else:
  • 48 fluid oz. Hudsonville Peppermint Ice Cream
  • ¼ cup warmed molasses
  • garnish options: crushed peppermint candies chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in ½ cup molasses, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Let cool for 5 minutes and then whisk in the eggs.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and sea salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet mixture. Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet, just until combined. Mix in half the chocolate chips.
  4. Transfer batter to prepared baking pan and smooth out into an even layer. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Bake until the center is set, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
  5. When ready to serve, divide the ice cream evenly between 12 bowls. Crumble the gingerbread brownies over the ice cream and drizzle with warm molasses. Sprinkle with peppermint candy or chocolate chips, is using. Serve right away before the ice cream melts!
Gingerbread Brownie Sundae with Peppermint Ice Cream & Molasses Drizzle

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Spicy Sweet Buffalo Glaze

ALL, Entertaining, Side, Thanksgiving, Winter33

This Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Spicy Sweet Buffalo Glaze is an easy veg-packed Thanksgiving side that is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Spicy Sweet Buffalo Glaze

The Thanksgiving count down is in full force – can you believe it’s ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!? Oh wow wow wow! Despite posting my shopping list on instagram stories earlier today, I just don’t feel prepared. I’ve got the food all sorted but boy oh boy do we still need to clean the house…and figure out the table decorations…and get a final headcount on how many people are coming. This thought tunnel of to-dos makes me wonder why I’m on the internet writing this blog post right now and not prepping…but oh wait, I need to tell you about this recipe. That is why I’m here!

Whether you are hosting or just a guest, it’s always great to have a few easy recipes, like this Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Spicy Sweet Buffalo Glaze, in your back pocket for the big day! While the Brussels sprouts roast, you make a quick glaze to toss them in which means all of this all takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Spicy Sweet Buffalo Glaze

In addition to this recipe being so easy, I love how it allows you to have a little green on the table because, let’s be real, a whole lot of carbs, starch, and meat appear at Thanksgiving so having a little green on the table to balance things out isn’t going to hurt anyone.

The sweet and spicy buffalo sauce compliments the earthy brussels sprouts perfectly so even the pickiest of eaters can get behind this recipe. Feel free to garnish it with scallions and lemon zest if you are feeling fancy or serve as is if you are short on time – they will be delicious either way!

5 from 1 vote
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Spicy Sweet Buffalo Glaze
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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Spicy Sweet Buffalo Glaze
Ingredients
  • 1 pound brussels sprouts halved and trimmed
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup buffalo sauce
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced
  • lemon zest for garnish (optional)
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss Brussels sprouts with 2 Tbsp olive oil, salt, and a turn of freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and spread out into a single layer. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, tossing halfway through, or until browned on most sides.

  2. Meanwhile, combine honey, buffalo sauce, and butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the butter has melted and the glaze has thickened slightly, about 3 minutes.

  3. When Brussels sprouts are done, transfer to a large mixing bowl and toss in the glaze until completely coated with the glaze. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if needed.

  4. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with scallion slices and lemon zest (if using). Serve right away.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Spicy Sweet Buffalo Glaze

Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes? Check out my 25 Vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes round-up!

Cheddar Corn Pudding with Crispy Spicy Sweet Topping

ALL, Entertaining, Side, Thanksgiving, Winter45

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of KitchnAid. The opinions and text are all mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that make VV possible.

This Cheddar Corn Pudding with Crispy Spicy Sweet Topping is a creative and delicious Thanksgiving side. The inside is similar enough to traditional corn pudding to please the traditionalist while the crunchy topping brings a whole new level to your Thanksgiving table.

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away – can you believe it?! Do you have your menu planned? And your shopping list sorted? Truth be told, I’m still working on it but at least I’ve perfected this Cheddar Corn Pudding recipe to steal the spotlight. If nothing else, there will be corn pudding!

As a vegetarian, I find the sides to be way more important than the turkey because well, there isn’t turkey on my table. BUT if there was, it still would only be taking up 1/3 of your plate while the sides take up the other third. So why not put as much, if not more, effort into the sides? I always like to straddle the line between traditional and modern when it comes to my Thanksgiving side recipes because I crave the traditional recipes (cornbread casserole, sweet potato casserole, etc) but get so bored with cooking the same recipes every year. And this is exactly why I wanted to develop a corn pudding recipe that was similar enough to the traditional casserole that it’d please the purists while also bringing something new to the table.

I pulled out my new KitchenAid K400 blender to help me whip this up quickly (which is essential when it comes to Thanksgiving cooking – we have too much to cook to spend too much time on any one recipe). It allowed me to evenly whiz up the breadcrumb topping and then cream all the ingredients together within minutes so I could pop it into the oven ASAP and move on to the next thing.

The KitchenAid K400 blender worked so perfectly for this – when it arrived, there was no assembling required and it was powerful enough to easily chop up my bread within seconds. It also comes in an array of colors and the white looks very stylish on my counter. Plus, it can hold a ton of liquid – I was pleasantly surprised at how much space there still was after I put all the liquid ingredients in for this recipe.

Now let’s get into the nitty gritty of this corn pudding. The inside is what you’d expect from a corn pudding but the real show stopper is the sweet and savory crunchy topping. It’s a mix of corn flakes and country bread that is then tossed in a brown butter, honey, and a chili garlic mixture to create a sweet and savory crunchy top.

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Cheddar Corn Pudding with Crispy Spicy Sweet Topping
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted and cooled
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 15-oz can cream-style corn
For the topping:
  • 1/2 loaf country bread torn into large pieces
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 2 cups corn flakes
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan with butter.

  2. Tear large pieces of country bread into blender. Cover and pulse 3-4 times or until large breadcrumbs have formed. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

  3. Rinse blender and then add milk, 4 Tbsp melted butter, cornstarch, and eggs into blender. Blend until completely incorporated, about 5 seconds. Add frozen corn, cheese, and cream-style corn and pulse twice to incorporate.

  4. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan and bake for 45 minutes.

  5. Meanwhile, heat 4 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium until the butter has turned down brown and smells nutty, about 4 minutes (watch closely as it will turn past once it starts!). Remove from heat and whisk in chili garlic sauce and honey. Pour corn flakes and breadcrumbs and toss to coat.

  6. When the casserole has 10 minutes left, remove from oven, sprinkle crunchy topping over the casserole and put back in the oven for the remaining time.

  7. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato & Gorgonzola Crostini + Honey Gimlet

ALL, Appetizer, Drinks, Fall, Snack, Winter43

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Hangar 1 Distillery. The opinions and text are all mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that make VV possible.

The weather has finally turned chilly here in the Midwest which not only means that I can officially throw on some eyeliner and a sweatshirt without melting, but it also means it’s time for fall entertaining! We had to bring all the plants in from outside (since the nights are getting very chilly) which now makes our dining room my favorite spot – plants line the walls, a beautiful breeze streams in through the open windows, and the golden light of fall fills the room.

To celebrate my favorite season, I’m having friends over to sip on Honey Gimlets (made with Hangar 1 Honeycomb Vodka) and easy Sweet Potato & Gorgonzola Crostini! Hangar 1’s Honeycomb Vodka is infused with actual honeycomb (not just honey!) so the finished flavor is vibrant and unique. I loved serving these honey gimlets with the crostini (recipe below) because they are only 2 ingredients so they let the flavor of the Honeycomb Vodka really shine through. Plus, the packaging of this vodka is so gorgeous that I love showing it off by keeping it on the table for guests to ask about.

As for the crostini, you can roast the sweet potatoes a few hours ahead of time and pop them back in the oven to warm up slightly before serving. Same goes for preparing the bread pieces ahead of time. When ready to serve, pile your bread high with sweet potatoes, cheese, fresh sage, and then drizzle the honey. Alternatively, you could leave the honey on the side and let guests drizzle it themselves if you’d like to let them pick their level of sweetness.

Now invite some friends over for cocktails and snacks and get cooking!

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Honey Gimlet

Recipe supplied by Hangar 1 Vodka.

Servings: 1 serving
Ingredients
  • 1.5 oz Hangar 1 Honeycomb Vodka
  • 0.5 oz fresh lime juice
  • orange peel for garnish
Instructions

  1. Shake with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with orange peel.

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Fall Sweet Potato & Gorgonzola Crostini
Ingredients
  • 1 sweet potato peeled and diced into 1/2 inch thick chunks
  • 1/4 cup olive oil divided
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • dash of pepper
  • 1 baguette
  • 3 Tbsp crumbled gorgonzola (could also use blue cheese)
  • 2 Tbsp finely chopped sage
  • 1-2 Tbsp honey
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add sweet potatoes onto prepared baking sheet and toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and a dash of pepper. Spread out into a single layer and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the potato pieces are cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.

  2. Meanwhile, cut the baguette into 1 inch thick round pieces. Brush the remaining oil on both sides of the crostini. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and, working in batches, toast the crostini by cooking on each side for 2-3 minutes each. Set aside.

  3. When ready to serve, divide the sweet potato, honey, and gorgonzola between the crostini pieces. Starting with 1 Tbsp, drizzle honey over the crostini and sprinkle a dash of pepper. Taste and add more honey, if needed.

  4. Serve right away with a Hangar 1 Honey Gimelet.

Vegetarian Butternut Squash Farro Minestrone

ALL, Entree, Fall, Soup, Winter115

This Vegetarian Butternut Squash Farro Minestrone soup is a perfect cool weather vegetarian main to serve a large crowd or use as leftovers for lunch or dinners throughout the week.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Bob’s Red Mill. The opinions and text are all mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that make VV possible.

Vegetarian Butternut Squash Farro Minestrone

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – it’s soup season! I don’t know about you but not much brings me as much simple pleasure as making a big batch of delicious soup on a Sunday afternoon (along with some quick bread!) and enjoying it throughout the week.

And this Vegetarian Butternut Squash Farro minestrone soup is perfect for exactly that. It’s chocked full of hearty vegetables, filling Bob’s Red Mill farro, and creamy white beans. The soup itself is vegan but can be topped with salty cheese if you’d like.

Vegetarian Butternut Squash Farro Minestrone

I almost didn’t call this recipe minestrone since the soup doesn’t have pasta but the chewy farro actually makes a great replacement for pasta and even makes it feel a little more substantial to me. And the trademark tomato base that you get in minestrone is still there along with creamy white beans.

To make this Butternut Squash Farro Minestrone soup extra special, I whipped up a simple sage oil while it was simmering. The oil is nothing more than blending sage and quality olive oil together to create an herb-y oil that is then strained and drizzled. The end result is a nice punch of green and extra richness. Although the oil definitely added to the soup, I will say that I didn’t have any when I enjoyed the leftovers and they were almost just as good.

Leftover soup should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Make sure to thin out leftover soup with a little broth or water as the farro will continue to absorb the moisture as it sits.

Vegetarian Butternut Squash Farro Minestrone
Vegetarian Butternut Squash Farro Minestrone
Vegetarian Butternut Squash Farro Minestrone
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Vegetarian Butternut Squash Farro soup

This Vegetarian Butternut Squash Farro Minestrone soup is a perfect cool weather vegetarian main to serve a large crowd or use as leftovers for lunch or dinners throughout the week.

Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 red onion diced
  • 2 carrots chopped
  • 3 celery stalks chopped
  • 1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeds removed, and chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Farro
  • 1 28 oz can fired roasted tomatoes
  • 1 can white beans drained and rinsed
  • salty cheese for garnish (optional)
For the sage oil:
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 10-15 sage leaves
Instructions

  1. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in butternut squash and garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Add broth, water, and farro and turn heat up to high. Once boiling, lower heat to medium, and let simmer for 20 minutes. Add tomatoes and white beans and let simmer for another 10 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, combine sage leaves and olive oil in a high speed blender and blend for 20 seconds or until the sage has been completely blended. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and reserve the green oil for serving.

  3. When ready to serve, transfer soup to bowls and drizzle with oil, salty cheese, and pepper.

Vegetarian Butternut Squash Farro Minestrone

Looking for other soup ideas? I’ve got you covered:

Brown Sugar Waffles with Orange-Ginger Cranberry Compote

ALL, Breakfast, Winter47

These delicious Brown Sugar Waffles with Orange-Ginger Cranberry Compote is a fun winter variation on your classic waffle.

Brown Sugar Waffles with Orange-Ginger Cranberry Compote

Breakfast is the one meal during the week that I put very little thought or planning into. While I have a meal plan for lunch and dinner that I sit down and create every Sunday, weekday breakfast always continues to stay consistent with yogurt, smoothies, and maybe a cottage cheese throw in there now and then. I think that’s probably why why, when the weekend rolls around, I love the indulgent treat of waking up late and slowly making an elaborate (compared to pre-made yogurt) breakfast for Wyatt and I. Often times, it’s pancakes or eggs with toast but lately I’ve been on a waffle kick and these Brown Sugar Waffles with Orange-Ginger Compote have been hitting all the winter comfort spots: warm, bright, carb-y, sweet, and a touch savory!

Brown Sugar Waffles with Orange-Ginger Cranberry Compote
Brown Sugar Waffles with Orange-Ginger Cranberry Compote
Brown Sugar Waffles with Orange-Ginger Cranberry Compote

These Brown Sugar Waffles with Orange-Ginger Cranberry Compote are from the cookbook, Breakfast, which I’ve been turning to for weekend brunch inspiration for the last few months. I realize I love cookbooks and talk a lot of them up but this one is super fun! It’s filled with bold text, bright backgrounds, beautiful photos, infographics, articles about the history of certain breakfast foods, and so much more. It reminds me of a fun adult activity book where you are learning without even realizing it! Anyhow, if you are into learning and making delicious breakfast food then this book is for you! And if not, at least enjoy these waffles from it. : )

Looking for other Breakfast recipes? Here are a few more:

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Brown Sugar Waffles with Orange-Ginger Cranberry Compote

This delicious winter variation on classic waffles is from Extra Crispy’s fun and colorful cookbook, Breakfast.

Ingredients
For the compote
  • 1 12 oz bag fresh cranberries
  • zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 cup water
For the waffles
  • 4 Tbsp butter plus more for greasing
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 4 large eggs
  • citrus slices for serving
Instructions
For the compote:

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine all compote ingredients and bring to a simmer over medium. Let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and cover. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

For the waffles:

  1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and set aside.

  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

  3. In another bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in milk, buttermilk, eggs, and butter. Whisk the wet ingredients and then whisk wider to incorporate dry ingredients into wet until combined.

  4. Heat waffle iron according to package directions and lightly coat with butter. Make waffles, again according to the waffle irons directions.

  5. Serve with compote and orange slices.

Brown Sugar Waffles with Orange-Ginger Cranberry Compote

Vegetarian Winter Cobb Salad

ALL, Appetizer, Salad, Winter49

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of OXO and California Olive Ranch. The opinions and text are all mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that make VV possible.

Tracking Pixel

Vegetarian Cobb Salad

You all still on your New Year’s resolution kick to eat healthier? Or did the polar vortex (for my Midwest and East Coasters) or Snowpocalypse (for my west coasters) knock you off coarse with temperatures so cold that nothing besides greasy french fries and gooey pizza would warm your soul? I feel that – I was there too. But it’s slowly thawing and time to get back on track with a bowl of addictively nourishing food!

I realize it’s hard to crave a salad in the dead of winter but that’s because so many people think of salads as light and made of flimsy cold lettuce when they can be so much more than that – they can be made with sturdy greens and piled high with warm roasted vegetables and filling proteins. Don’t believe me? Well, today I’m excited to partner with OXO and California Olive Ranch to bring you the exact hearty and filling winter salad I’m talking about.

Vegetarian Cobb Salad
Vegetarian Cobb Salad
Vegetarian Cobb Salad

But before we jump into talking about all the components of this Vegetarian Winter Cobb Salad, let’s talk about the partners featured in today’s recipe. Deciding to work with both OXO and California Olive Ranch was a no-brainer. For one, California Olive Ranch is the only extra virgin olive oil I buy at the grocery store and use it for my everyday cooking (literally – I cook with olive oil every. single. day.) so I already had a very strong brand loyalty to them. It’s the only extra virgin olive oil I’ve been able to find on the regular at my local store that has a harvest date (which lets me know it’s fresh) and it has a smoke point well above 425 degrees so I know I can safely bake, sauté, and fry with it without having to worry about burning. This means I can lean on it for almost all cooking situations and I don’t have to worry about buying a new oil every time I want to try out a new cooking method. Although I usually use their ‘Everyday’ Destination Series, I tried out their ‘Rich and Robust’ bottle for the dressing in this salad to let the flavor really shine through, and it was delicious!

I used OXO‘s Salad Dressing Shaker and Salad Spinner to make this salad. The Salad Spinner helped to dry my greens quickly so they could absorb the dressing with ease and not water down the salad. The Salad Dressing Shaker is not something I would have ever thought to purchase, but after using it to measure, shake, and pour the dressing, I honestly wouldn’t ever use something else again. The printed measurements on the side of the shaker means I don’t have to deal with dirtying additional measuring cups. And if there is anything we can all agree on it’s that less dirty dishes is always a good thing!

Vegetarian Cobb Salad
Vegetarian Cobb Salad
Vegetarian Cobb Salad

And finally, let’s talk about this salad! Our local vegetarian restaurant makes a killer cobb salad that I always order when I go there. The one problem I have with the salad is that it’s just not nearly as good in the winter – the tomatoes are bland, and the lettuce lacks vibrancy (most likely because both are not as fresh as they are during peak produce season here in the Midwest). That is why I wanted to create a cobb salad that didn’t lean on those summer vegetables to make it delicious. I swapped out the tomatoes for roasted root vegetables and the lettuce for sturdy kale and cabbage.

I also swapped the meat for coconut bacon and roasted chickpeas because a little salty crunch in your salad is always a good idea. And finally, I made my salad with jammy eggs, but you are welcome to cook your eggs a little longer if you’d rather have a more traditional cobb salad egg experience (I will say that the jammy halves were delicious but a bit messy).

Vegetarian Cobb Salad
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Vegetarian Winter Cobb Salad

This Vegetarian Winter Cobb Salad is a fun seasonal twist that features heartier greens, roasted vegetables, and chickpeas in place of the meat.

Ingredients
For the coconut bacon:
  • 1 cup large coconut flakes
  • 1 Tbsp liquid smoke
  • 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
For the Roasted Vegetables & Chickpeas:
  • 1 cup chopped root vegetables (such as carrots, beets, radishes, etc) all chopped about the same size
  • 1 15 oz can of chickpeas drained and patted dry with a paper towel
  • 2 Tbsp California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil
  • dash of salt / pepper
For the dressing:
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup champagne vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
  • dash salt / pepper
Everything else:
  • 1 small head cabbage rinsed and chopped
  • 1 bunch kale rinsed and chopped
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
  • 5 soft boiled OR hard boiled eggs halved
  • 1 avocado pitted sliced
Instructions
For the coconut bacon:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the liquid smoke, soy sauce, and maple syrup in a bowl. Fold the coconut flakes into the smoke mixture until they are completely coated with the sauce. Transfer to the baking sheet and spread out onto a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes, shaking and stirring the flakes every 3-5 minutes to prevent from burning (do it more frequently towards the end as they are very prone to burning right before ready). Remove from oven and gently transfer the parchment paper with the coconut bacon on it to a cooling rack (so you can reuse the baking sheet for the veggies). Set aside to cool.

For the Roasted Vegetables & Chickpeas:

  1. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees and re-line the baking sheet with new parchment paper. Toss the veggies and chickpeas in 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Transfer to baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the veggies are starting to brown and the chickpeas are crisped. Remove from oven and set aside.

For the dressing:

  1. While the veggies are roasting, transfer all the dressing ingredients into the OXO Salad Dressing Shaker and shake until emulsified and combined. Set aside.

To assemble:

  1. Toss together the cabbage and kale and then place in a big salad bowl. Top with roasted veggies, chickpeas, crumbled cheese, eggs, avocado, and coconut bacon. Start by drizzling half the dressing over the salad and taste. Add more dressing as desired. Serve right away.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of OXO and California Olive Ranch. The opinions and text are all mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that make VV possible.

Vegan Chili Mac & Cheese

ALL, Entree, Winter62

This Vegan Chili Mac recipe from Power Plates is the ultimate comfort food: a vegan hybrid between macaroni and cheese and chili.

Vegan Chili Mac

I have a confession to make. I’ve been holding out on you. I literally have been meaning to photograph and share this recipe with you for over a year. I received Gina’s Power Plates cookbook last winter and fell totally in love with this recipe – it’s the ultimate comfort food meal: rich macaroni and cheese meets hearty bean chili. Chewy pasta is folded into an easy homemade “queso sauce” and then wrapped up in a quick homemade chili. Don’t let the lack of actual cheese (the queso is vegan) in this recipe deceive you – the homemade “queso” is smoky and creamy and totally as good as any cheese sauce I’ve made at home (including ones with real cheddar).

Vegan Chili Mac
Vegan Chili Mac
Vegan Chili Mac

So, if this vegan skillet chili mac recipe and book are so good, why did I wait so long to make this for you? Well, to be completely honest, it was because I knew that it was going to be a tough one to photograph (one bowl meals with all cooked ingredients tend to be) and I was really worried about doing it justice. So worried, in fact, that it took me over a year to get around to finally photographing it. So yeah – such a silly reason but here it finally is!

Make sure to check out Gina’s cookbook if you like simple and vegan recipes that are balanced, filling, and delicious! In addition to seeing it for sale online, I’ve also spotted it at Anthropologie (in case you want to go see it in person before snagging a copy). Oh and did I mention that there is even a recipe in the book inspired by one of mine? You are going to have to pick up the book to find out which one! : )

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Vegan Skillet Chili Mac
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbso olive oil
  • 1 white onion diced
  • 1 green or red bell pepper diced
  • 1 poblano pepper finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes preferably fire-roasted
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans or 15 oz can drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans or 15 oz can drained and rinsed
  • 8 oz elbow shaped pasta
Cashew Queso Sauce
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
To serve:
  • sliced scallions for serving
Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and poblano and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until onions are translucent.

  3. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in cumin, chili powder, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, tomatoes, and beans. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.

  4. When the water is boiling, stir in the pasta and adjust the heat to maintain a low boil. Cool until pasta is al dente (reference package directions).

For the queso:

  1. Combine all the queso ingredients in a high speed blender and process until completely smooth. If the sauce is too thick to pour, add another tablespoon of water.

To serve:

  1. Fold tomato bean mixture, pasta, and queso together until combined. Top with scallions and season with more salt and pepper (if needed).

Vegan Chili Mac

Winter Citrus Almond Cake

ALL, Sweets, Winter61

This Winter Citrus Almond Cake With Yogurt & Mint recipe is an easy winter cake that can be enjoyed with coffee or tea. Make it when citrus is in season! This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Bob’s Red Mill. The opinions and text are all mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that make VV possible.

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Citrus Cake

You know what gets me through a dark, dreary, wet February? Baking. Baking cookies. Baking bread. Baking biscotti. But you know what my favorite thing to bake is? Yup – you guessed it…cake! It gives me an excuse to get off the couch from binge watching TV, to heat up the house with the oven, and to get my creative ideas flowing endless flavor combinations. So I couldn’t be more excited to have this post made in partnership with Bob’s Red Mill because their numerous flour (and baking ingredients in general) make it even easier to get the creative ideas flowing by trying out different flour flavor profiles. I decided to focus on their almond flour for this cake because I’ve used it many times before to make super tender blueberry muffins so I knew that the flour would do the same to this cake.

Citrus Cake

I used to be obsessed with blood oranges this time of year but cara cara oranges have stolen my heart these days!

Citrus Cake
Winter Citrus Almond Cake With Yogurt & Mint

This winter citrus almond cake is perfect in it’s simplicity – it’s for weekend snacking, not big special occasions.

This versatile cake can be topped with plain yogurt or whipped cream (depending on how sweet you want your toppings), fresh citrus (I also added a few pomegranate seeds for color but it honestly didn’t need them), a touch of fresh mint, and a sprinkle of powered sugar. The cake itself isn’t over sweet but may be a touch too much for breakfast (at least to my liking) so I like to enjoy this as a snack cake with tea. A strong mint or earthy roobis would be a perfect accompaniment.

I went a little crazy with the different orange varieties when photographing this – tangerines, cara cara, and blood oranges. If you don’t feel like buying 3 different varities (I get it) then I’d recommend snagging the cara cara if you can. They have a slight red hue to them and they always seem to taste the perfect amount of sweet to me.

Citrus Cake
3 from 1 vote
Citrus Cake
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Winter Citrus Almond Cake With Yogurt & Mint

This Winter Citrus Almond Cake With Yogurt & Mint recipe is an easy winter cake that can be enjoyed with coffee or tea. Make it when citrus is in season! Recipe adapted from an Alison Roman recipe.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill almond flour
  • 3/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp orange zest
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature (+ more for greasing)
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 Tbsp powdered sugar
  • plain yogurt for serving
  • fresh orange segments for serving
  • mint for serving
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9 inch round cake pan with butter.

  2. Whisk together almond flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and orange zest in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.

  3. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy.

  4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition until completely incorporated. Increase speed and beat until mixture has doubled in size and is pale, about 5 minutes.

  5. Fold in the flour mixture just until incorporated.

  6. Transfer batter to prepared cake pan and bake for 30 minutes or until the top browns. Remove from oven and let cool. Dust with powdered sugar.

  7. To serve, dollop with yogurt, fresh citrus, and mint.

Citrus Cake

Warming Ginger Lemon Honey Tea

ALL, Drinks, Winter34

This simple 3 ingredient warming Ginger Lemon Honey Tea recipe is a go-to when feeling under the weather or like my body needs a little boost. I love that it doesn’t require a juicer and can be whipped up in a blender in just a few minutes.

Anyone else feel like everyone around them is sick? Thank you, January, for not only being dark and cold but also spreading all the germs. To try to build up a little extra immunity power for my body, I’ve been drinking this lemon ginger tonic mixture every few days for the last few weeks. It’s been soothing on my sore throat while giving my body a little extra boost from the ginger and lemon.

A lot of similar recipes to this online have you boil everything in a saucepan to let the ginger steep but my local coffee shop juices it all and the flavor of this method just packs such a bigger punch. I used to think you could only make this version in a juicer but I found a nice little cheat system though where you blend everything in a high speed blender and then just use a fine mesh strainer. The end result is deliciously sweet, spicy, and tart and the great way to mix-up your afternoon tea routine.

Here are a few fun variations for this Ginger Lemon Honey Tea recipe for when you want to mix it up:

  • Carrots Ginger Tonic: Add 1 peeled and trimmed carrot to blender along with the ginger and lemon.
  • Spicy Black Pepper Lemon Ginger Tonic: Add 1 tsp whole peppercorn to tonic after you pour hot water in and let steep for 3-5 minutes.
  • Thyme Lemon Ginger Tonic: Add 3 fresh thyme sprigs to tonic after you pour hot water in and let steep for 3-5 minutes.

Note that I like my Ginger Lemon Honey Tea super spicy and tart so you may end up wanting to adjust your ratios a bit from what I have listed below. If the drink is too tart or spicy for you, just add more water and honey until you find the right equation for your taste buds.

 

 

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Warming Ginger Lemon Honey Tea

This Warming Ginger Lemon Honey Tea is my go-to when feeling under the weather or like my body needs a little boost. I love that it doesn't require a juicer and can be whipped up in a blender in just a few minutes!

Ingredients
  • 1/2 small lemon (or 1/4 large) peeled and deseeded
  • 1 inch ginger knob peeled
  • 1 1/4 cup water divided
  • 1/2 Tbsp honey
Instructions

  1. Place lemon wedge, ginger, and 1/4 cup water in a high speed blender and blend on high for 2-3 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, boil the additional 1 cup of water in a water boiler or on the stove top.

  3. Use a fine mesh strainer to strain the lemon ginger mixture into a mug. Add honey and pour in boiling water.

  4. Let cool slightly and enjoy right away. Add more honey and/or water as needed.

 

 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad with Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette

ALL, Entree, Salad, Winter118

This Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad With Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette is inspired by Martina McBride’s new cookbook, Martina’s Kitchen Mix. It’s a hearty savory winter salad with a touch of sweet from the apples and cranberries.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad with Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette

I’m one of those girls who wishes she was a salad person. I do this thing all the time where I’ll pick out a restaurant based on a salad I know they have that I really like and then we’ll get there and I’ll be like ‘dang but that (insert carb dish) looks so much better’ and guess what I end up ordering? Yup, you are correct – that carby cheesy dishes that wasn’t even on my mind when I picked out the restaurant. Ahhh well.

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Seedy Farro Breakfast Bowl Recipe With Warmed Figs & Pears

ALL, Breakfast, Winter39

Sharing the recipe for this Seedy Farro Breakfast Bowl Recipe With Warmed Figs & Pears along with some meal prep breakfast ideas! This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Bob’s Red Mill and

Happy new year!! You all ready to conquer all your 2019 goals? I was so excited when Bob’s Red Mill andBlue Ribbon Orchard Choice Orchard Choice), creamy milk, and crunchy seeds or nuts to create a perfectly addictive meal.

Seedy Farro Breakfast Bowl Recipe With Warmed Figs & Pears

Seedy Farro Breakfast Bowl Recipe With Warmed Figs & Pears

A few tips for prepping this ahead of time and eating throughout the week:

  • Cook the Bob’s Red Mill farro on Sunday afternoon and store it in an airtight container (it should keep in your fridge for 3-4 days). This will speed up your morning process because it just means everything will need to be warmed.
  • Stock up on 

    Print
    Seedy Farro Breakfast Bowl Recipe With Warmed Figs & Pears

    This Seedy Farro Breakfast Bowl Recipe With Warmed Figs & Pears can be meal prepped ahead of time for a quick and delicious weekday breakfast or snack!

    Ingredients
    • 1 cup farro
    • 1 cup milk of your choice (whole milk, hazelnut, almond, etc)
    • 1 Tbsp butter
    • 1 package Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice California Figs (you can slice them in half if you buy the regular size figs or enjoy whole if you purchase the figlets)
    • 1 small pear cored and sliced thin
    • 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
    • dash of salt
    • 4 Tbsp fresh orange juice
    • 1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
    • seeds from 1 small pomegranate
    • 4 tsp maple syrup (+ more to taste depending on how sweet you want it)
    • 2 tsp sesame seeds
    Instructions

    1. Rinse the farro and place in a saucepan with 3 cups water. Bring to a oil and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Drain excess wate and set aside (you can also transfer to an airtight container and place in the fridge at this point if you are making farro ahead of time).

    2. In a small saucepan, heat butter over medium heat and add in figs, pear slices, cinnamon, and a dash of salt. Saute just until the pears are soft and fragrant and the figs are warmed through. Remove from heat and add stir in orange juice. Use right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge (and just rewarm right before serving).

    3. When ready to serve, warm farro in a medium saucepan with milk (if only making one serving at a time, warm 1/4 of the farro with 1/4 cup of milk). Place farro in 4 bowls (if making a full batch). Serve with warmed figs and pears, seeds, and maple syrup.

     

    Seedy Farro Breakfast Bowl Recipe With Warmed Figs & Pears

     

Easy Vegetarian Chickpea Noodle Soup Recipe

ALL, Entree, Fall, Soup, Winter193

This Chickpea Noodle Soup recipe is chocked full of healthy vegetables, hearty beans, and chewy egg noodles. This soup is a great way to get more vegetables into your meal while still enjoying the comfort of delicious pasta.

Easy Vegetarian Chickpea Noodle Soup Recipe

Happy New Year! Ready or not, it’s time for 2019! Can you believe this will be the last year in this decade?! I’m a bit in shock since I’m still listening to music like it’s the early 2000s (just joking…sort of). Anyhow, it’s sort of become a tradition for me to share a soup recipe (like this one and this one) as the first recipe of the year. I decided to share this Chickpea Noodle Soup recipe because it’s chocked full of vegetables (helloooo 2019 goal of eating more vegs) and beans but its not totally indulgent free because there are plenty of filling egg noodles in this as well.

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Holiday Stollen Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

ALL, Bread, Sweets, Winter34

This batch of Holiday Stollen Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are perfect for Christmas morning or for a lazy weekend around the holiday season.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

A few Christmas seasons ago, I somehow talked my mother, aunt, and grandma into helping me make our family stollen recipe. The recipe called for several bags of flour, obscene amounts of fruit, required all of us to knead the huge pile of dough by hand, and took several days from start to finish. Needless to say, no one has suggested we make that recipe since. Even though our family recipe was beyond labor-intensive, I still loved the end result which was yeasty, boozy, and studded with just enough fruit to be sweet but not overly sweet. I made a stollen cookie in my first cookbook and although it’s a delicious shortbread, it doesn’t have the yeasty flavor I crave. After a few trial and errors, I was able to translate all my favorite parts of stollen into cinnamon roll form with these little rolls. It’s a pretty amazing hybrid with yeasty base, rum-soaked fruit, cream cheese frosting, and a touch more cinnamon than traditional stollen has (but more of other spices that a cinnamon roll usually would).

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Cardamom Coffee Chocolate Biscotti

ALL, Breakfast, Snack, Sweets, Winter54

This Cardamom Coffee Chocolate Biscotti recipe is perfect for the holidays or when you are planning to have friends over for tea or coffee. The biscotti can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

Cardamom Coffee Chocolate Biscotti

Checking in for a quick one today and to share this amazing biscotti recipe! I made an addicting hybrid of the Spicy Double Chocolate Chip Biscotti recipe found in my Vegetarian Heartland cookbook and the Cardamom Coffee Cream Scones found in my Platters and Boards cookbook! These end results are a subtly sweet biscuit meant to be dunked in teas and coffee. I promise that the instructions look more complicated than they are – you are basically going to make one dough that splits off into two bowls (so you can add two different flavors) and then pile one part of the dough over the over so you end up with an impression looking two flavor biscotti.

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Cranberry Orange Punch With Cranberry-Rosemary Ice Ring

ALL, Drinks, Winter62

This Cranberry Orange Punch With Cranberry-Rosemary Ice Ring is only 6 ingredients and a totally show stopper for your holiday parties!

Cranberry Orange Punch

It’s the holiday season (*queue holiday music*)! If I wasn’t so wrapped up in binge watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 2 then I would probably be out celebrating the season at holiday parties. Jk Jk – I do plan to go to a holiday party eventually this season (next weekend, to be exact) and will most certainly be bringing a big batch of this punch to the event. I’ll be bringing this punch not only because I need alcohol to tame my social anxiety (I kid…sort of) but because it’s an easy and delicious way to serve up something festive. …View More

Vegetarian Ventures 2018 Gift Guide (All Under $50!)

ALL, Round-Up, Winter, Wrap Up39

Here we are again! It’s already the holiday season and time to pick out the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Luckily for you, I’ve went ahead and piled a list of 18 gifts under $50 that would be perfect for almost every women in your life – whether she is an obsessive cook, all-natural beauty goddess, design forward homebody, compassionate animal lover, or giver that already has everything (see giving options below for more ideas for that one!).

 

Vegetarian Ventures 2018 Gift Guide (All Under $50)

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Farro Salad with Pistachios Apricots and Herbs

ALL, Entree, Salad, Side, Winter39

This Farro Salad with Pistachios Apricots and Herbs is my go-to meal prep lunch. It can be made in under 30 minutes and lasts several days in the fridge when tightly sealed. The chewy farro balances perfectly with salty pistachios, a bright citrus dressing, and sweet apricots pieces.

Farro Salad with Pistachios Apricots and Herbs Recipe

Hiii! I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving week (if you are US based)! I am just now getting back into the swing of things and am SO ready to start getting festive! We put our tree up over the weekend along with a bunch of lights and I’m planning to spend Sunday working on a new holiday cookie recipe for you all.

A few housekeeping things before we dive into today’s recipe. First up, did you see my instagram post about gifting my cookbooks for the holidays? Basically, since I can’t meet all of you in person and give you a big ‘Thank you’ hug, I’m offering to send a signed recipe card to anyone who emails me a proof of purchase for one of my books. I’m hoping it’ll help give an extra special touch to your gift and a small way to show how appreciative I am to you for supporting my book adventure!

Secondly, I will be signing copies of my book this Saturday in Indianapolis at the Indiana Historical Society’s Annual Author Fair! If you live in the area, I’d love to see you there! The event is from noon to 4 PM and I’ll be the awkward looking introvert in the back peddling my recipes. Hope to see you there! : )

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Apple Cider Gravy From Now and Again

ALL, Sauce, Side, Thanksgiving, Winter62

This Apple Cider Gravy recipe from Julie Turshen’s Now and Again cookbook is both savory and tangy. It’s a perfect gravy for a special occasion like Thanksgiving or a lazy morning with biscuits and eggs.

Apple Cider Gravy From Now and Again

Thanksgiving is officially a week from today – are you ready? This is the first year we will be hosting at our new home and I’m beyond excited / nervous / overwhelmed. There will be about 15 of us and I have no idea how they will all fit into our 900 square foot home (ha). To calm my nerves a bit, I’ve started testing some of the recipes from the menu ahead time and this Apple Cider Gravy from Julie Turshen’s Now and Again. I was drawn to this Apple Cider Gravy recipe because I always think of gravy as super savory so I was very curious to see how a healthy helping of acid would alter the flavor. The results were still deliciously savory with a tint of tang that was surprisingly wonderful on top of a pile of biscuits and eggs. I dare say this could even replace our go-to recipe we’ve been making for years!

This Apple Cider Gravy is from Julie Tushen’s newest cookbook, Now and Again. I was beyond excited to receive a copy of this from Chronicle Books since I was such a big fan of her first cookbook, Small Victories. This has a similar approach in that all the food in the book is very accessible while still being creative and feeling new. Now & Again is sorted by seasons and then again by menu themes. What makes it extra unique is that Julie then gives recipe ideas on how to use the leftovers so nothing goes to waste. It also has an ideal mix of everyday recipes and special occasion recipes. I highly recommend you checking it out if you are a cookbook fan and looking for new inspiration!

Apple Cider Gravy From Now and AgainApple Cider Gravy From Now and Again

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Apple Cider Gravy

This Apple Cider Gravy recipe from Julie Turshen's Now and Again cookbook is both savory and tangy. It's a perfect gravy for a special occasion like Thanksgiving or a lazy morning with biscuits and eggs.

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 Tbsp fresh sage
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups vegetable broth (she used chicken but veg worked great for me!)
  • 2 cups apple cider vinegar
Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.

  2. Add onion, garlic, sage, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring often, until everything is softened, about 8 minutes.

  3. Add flour and, stirring often, cook until it turns the color of a milky cup of coffee, about 5 minutes.

  4. Next, while whisking constantly, slowly pour in the stock and the cider.

  5. Bring the mixture to a bowl and then lower heat and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 10 minutes.

 

 

 

20 Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes You Should Try This Year

ALL, Entertaining, Entree, Fall, Round-Up, Sweets, Thanksgiving, Winter98

Thanksgiving is less than a week away – do you know what you are making yet? Whether you are planning the whole menu or just looking for a dish or two to bring to the party, I’ve got 20 Vegetarian Thanksgiving that are perfect for the occasion.

 

Quick Starters and Appetizers

This Roasted Beet Hummus with Hazelnut Oil & Rosemary recipe is a bright and easy snack worthy of serving to guests.

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