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When it comes to roasted squash, I'm all about big flavors. Give me all the spices and herbs. This adobo acorn squash is the perfect example. The squash is roasted in a great mix of spices and finished with one of my favorite herb sauces. Perfect as a side or add a cup of pinto beans or chickpeas to make it lunch. Acorn Squash or Bust (not really) One of my favorite sections in the grocery store is the section that houses winter squash. Some stores have the standard: butternut , spaghetti, and acorn while other stores branch out with red kuri, blue hubbard, and delicata. I love them all for many different reasons and honestly, acorn is usually towards the bottom of this list. However, acorn works really well for recipes like this adobo squash. I find that acorn, when not overcooked, holds it's texture well. The flavor is mild enough to support a bit of character in pairings. And, it's one of the easier squashes to find at regular grocery stores. However, if I were to s...

This recipe is in partnership with Nugget Markets. See below for more details. Constant inspiration is one of my favorite things about food. It takes one bite to take you down a road you might not have explored before. This is one of the reasons I’m always game to try something. You never know what will ignite your next love. Those are strong words for a recipe about squash but I mean it. On a harvest in October, a restaurant catered lunch in the grove. The location was ace but it was the first dish they brought out that put it over the top. Roasted delicata squash smothered with a whipped butter. It was magical and everything I wanted in one bite. This recipe is a nod to that dish. This recipe is the perfect companion on your holiday table. It’s minimal on ingredients but the overall flavor has a big impact. Of course, you don’t have to wait for your holiday meal to enjoy this dish- I’ve happily eaten this for dinner on a few occasions! Roasted Delicata Squash Of all the winter...

When it comes to the holidays, I get most excited about the parties (and the food at them!) With a little inspiration, your holiday party can be rocking some wonderful veg-friendly snacks. While you can start with a solid cheese board and some olives, step your game up with the help of some dips, bites, and flatbreads. Dips I love a good dip and it's amazing what you can make with a few vegetables and some legumes. Puree cooked carrots or beets for a beautiful color. Toss in handfuls of fresh herbs. And when all else fails, go for a delicious cheese sauce (that could even be vegan!) Avocado White Bean Dip White Bean Carrot Dip Pecan Beet Dip Roasted Garlic White Bean Dip Vegan Butternut Squash Queso (c/o The First Mess) Nuts/Popcorn I feel like everyone could use a few easy recipes to reach for when guests are coming over. For fun snacks, popcorn is one of my go-to items. It's easy to whip up and the flavor combinations are endless. This also goes for nuts too. ...

Post sponsored by Frontier Co-op. See below for more details. One of my first jobs cooking was in the kitchen at a local country club. The chef quit and they needed someone to sling breakfast for the golfers. Not one to shy away from a challenge, I jumped in. It was quite the experience that taught me many things but I also realized how much I love cooking on a griddle, especially with pancakes. So, when my new oven came with a griddle top, I knew pancakes were going to become more prominent in my breakfast repertoire. While my base for the pancakes doesn't change much, the toppings are constantly new. These whole wheat pancakes showcase one of my fall favorites: persimmons with a bit of cinnamon. Whole Wheat Flour I’ve chatted a bit about different varieties of whole wheat flour before but I always feel like it’s worth revisiting. My go-to wheat flour for pancakes is almost always whole wheat pastry flour. Using pastry flour keeps the texture of the pancake lighter than a m...

During the busy holiday months, I’m always looking for extra quick ways to eat well. It always feels like lunch is my weak area. It’s easy to ditch cooking and head out with friends. But, I feel it when I do. And so, I like to have a few lunches that feel a bit extra but take very little work. This is one of the reasons I love working with Dr. Praeger's . I know I can keep a few veg burgers on hand for quick and filling lunches or dinners. Greens: Arugula, Spinach, or Lettuce I love the flavor arugula adds to any sandwich or burger. The baby arugula you find in most stores in mild, with just a hint of pepperiness. This is the version I prefer with this stuffed pita. However, you can also use the spicier arugula you might find at the farmers market. If arugula isn’t your thing, swap it for baby spinach. You could also use lettuce (like a nice leaf of butter lettuce!) Dr. Praeger's Sweet Heat Beet Burgers I like keeping a few premade items on hand. In an ideal world I’d...

This is one of those recipes that has found a way into the rotation every winter. It's a lovely mix of fresh ingredients with the feeling of a hearty lunch. Best of all, these spring rolls can be made up to 24 hours in advance making them perfect for lunches or even get-togethers. Rice Papers Rice papers are a pantry staple in my house. I want to know that if I have produce on hand, I could easily whip up a batch of spring rolls. I usually prefer these brown rice wrappers but they aren’t the friendliest version to start your rolling journey. There are also discrepancies among different brands of regular rice papers. Some are too thin and tear easily while some have other ingredients outside of tapioca and rice. This older post about the differences can also be super helpful.   Older version: Noodles This recipe has actually lived on the site for years but was one that needed a solid update. The original version called for using rice noodles with the sweet potatoes. Whil...

I love a good breakfast, doubly so during the holiday months. There's something special about sharing a freshly brewed cup of coffee and delicious breakfast with people you might only get to see occasionally. My love of this also might stem from a deep love of breakfast. It always feels less fussy than holiday dinners but just as special. I like to keep it simple and go for easily scalable recipes. Below are 21 breakfast recipes to get you ready for feeding the family during the holiday season. For the Crowd One of the major adjustments to life with my husband was life visiting family with my husband. For any occasion or holiday, we'd all pile into one given house. At first I was completely overwhelmed (this was not a trait of my family) but now, it's something I love about holidays. Of course, when your house goes from 3 people to 12 people, it's time to pull out the recipes you know easily scale. For this I turn to granolas, pancakes, waffles, and beautiful (eas...

Post sponsored by Bob's Red Mill. See below for more details. I know most people obsess over the holiday dinners. There are schedules and multi-day prep routines. Depending on your personality, it can feel energizing or it can feel completely overwhelming. So what happens when you also have to think about having guest stay over, which includes feeding them breakfast? It can feel like 'one more thing.' But luckily, there are some solid breakfast recipes that everyone can enjoy. For starters, wow them with a beautiful chard frittata! Eat your greens One of the biggest pushes for sharing this recipe is to chat about chard . Whenever I ask people what one thing they wish they cooked more with, I get an overwhelming amount of ‘chard’ as the answer. It can be a tough green to like but it’s one of those ‘get to know’ type items. Meaning, once you get to know it, you become good friends. To get you started, I’ll let you in on my relationship with this greenage. I like chard...

I’m sliding into the holidays with a solid side dish idea, sure to start a conversation. These twice-baked honeynut squash are not only delicious but have a fun story about this newer squash variety. What is honeynut squash? Honeynut squash was developed through a challenge between Dan Barber and Michael Mouzarek. The goal: grow a better version of the butternut squash. Amazingly enough, not only did the honeynut squash come from that challenge but a new seed company focused on cross breeding vegetables ( called Row 7 ). I have dreams of growing quite a few different varieties. In terms of the honeynut squash, think of what a butternut squash taste like but intensify the flavor. It has a warm sweetness that the traditional butternut squash just can’t rival. The honeynut squash was bred with taste in mind, and it definitely lives up to that goal. Squash alternatives Of course, it’s not always easy to find these delightful squash and that’s okay. This recipe would work just as w...

There is nothing quite like holiday meals. Family, food, and conversation. However, it can be a extremely stressful trying to accommodate everyone’s dietary needs. Whether you’re going with a full plant-based meal or just hoping to get a dish or two to add to the table, this vegetarian holiday meal guide is here to help. How to plan a vegetarian holiday meal When thinking about the meal, I like to think about a few different elements including but not limited to: Greenery: even though salad isn’t a traditional holiday dish, it’s become one for me. I find a fresh salad can balance all the rich food that often finds it’s way to the table. The salad doesn’t have to be overly complicated either! It could be a bit of greens, a sprinkle of nuts, and a nice dressing. Beet Salad with Broiled Feta and Sesame Sunflower Seeds Romesco Potato Arugula Salad Kale Risotto with Feta Sweet Potato Salad with Butter-Hazelnut Dressing Protein: this is important. One of the things I find lacking...

Post sponsored by California Ripe Olives. See below for more details. If I had my way, I'd eat a big bowl of roasted vegetables for lunch, everyday. This cauliflower salad is another recipe that allows me to do just that. Shallot-roasted cauliflower tossed with salty olives and parmesan along along with sorghum. It's filling and delicious! California Ripe Olives When you think California produce, you might only think about the items that hit the produce aisles in your grocery store. Sure, the state grows a lot of that kind of produce. However, there are also some other magical kinds of items that are grown with the same kind of care. This cauliflower salad was inspired by a recent trip down to Fresno to learn about California Ripe Olives. There are two types of olives that are grown for table olives: Manzanillo and Sevillano. These two varieties have a nice buttery flavor and work great as both the green and black olives. Interestingly enough, all the olives come off the ...

When it comes to fall cooking, polenta is a staple in our house. This comforting dish has cold-weather/dark nights written all over it. Best of all, this isn’t just an ordinary polenta. Rather, it's a creamy pumpkin polenta using freshly roasted pumpkins. Roasted Pumpkin Sure, you can buy the canned pumpkin but I don’t think you’ve experienced all fall has to offer until you roast a pumpkin. The flavor and texture is a bit different from the canned counterpart. I find the flavor to be a bit more mellow and the texture to be not as thick. For this reason, I cook this pumpkin polenta version a bit more firm than I normally would and then add the pumpkin. If you decided you didn’t want to use pumpkin, butternut squash , acorn squash , or pureed sweet potatoes would all work well. I like to make dishes like this if I have leftover whipped sweet potatoes. Of course, you can always use canned pumpkin (especially if you have leftovers!) Polenta Options Making polenta is one of th...

When it comes to ingredients in your kitchen, it can be easy to forget that non-produce items come with ‘best by’ dates. I’ve witnessed many a spice cabinets with bottles dating back years, if not decades. Olive oil that should went rancid ages ago. And nuts that are questionable at best. And so, I’m working on a series based around the notion that all ingredients in your kitchen should be treated as if it were kale or tomatoes. Fresh is best and care needs to go into all ingredients you keep on hand. Knowing how to store and use in a short order is everything! First up: walnuts! While I use these nuts year-round in my house, I find an uptick during the cooler months. They also pair so wonderfully with the earthy flavors of fall. Use walnuts to make a solid cream sauce, make nut-milk, or add in granolas and toppings. Walnuts: The Varieties There are two overarching kinds of walnuts: English (Persian) and Black Walnut. The English variety are the common, store varieties. These w...

Post sponsored by Bob's Red Mill. See below for more details. There’s nothing quite like a comforting bowl of risotto. There are endless seasonal flavors and thanks to a myriad of whole grains, many bases you can use. A creamy, vegan risotto is within reach thanks to help from a bit of farro and an easy walnut cream sauce. Whole Grain Risottos Traditionally, risottos are made with arborio rice. This variety of rice has a high level of starch which translates into a creamy risotto everyone knows and loves. However, it’s rare I have arborio rice on hand. This has led to a lot of exploration into whole grain risottos. Whole grains, such as spelt , farro, and einkorn work well after they’ve been cracked slightly. By cracking the grains, a small bit of flour forms which simulates the creaminess of the arborio rice. Alternatively, pearled grains like barley and farro work without the cracking. These are whole grains that have had some of the outer layer removed which means th...

100% whole wheat savory scones that are delicious and have amazing texture? It’s not too good to be true. All you need is a bit of flour knowledge! Recently, I was part of a small workshop about local flours/grinding. It’s something I’m quite passionate about for many reasons, not limited to taste and nutrition. For this particular event, I was lucky enough to work with some beautiful Chiddam Blanc de Mars (soft white) flour from Capay Mills . Lucky for me and you, I had a bit of flour leftover and decided to make scones. Wheat Flour 101: Hard/Soft and White/Red For those who need a quick primer on wheat flour, there are MANY different varieties within the wheat category but they primarily fall into two overall categories: Red versus white and hard versus soft. The color difference of red and white is at the kernel level but translates into flavor differences. White wheat was developed from red wheat by removing the red bran color. White wheat has a bit softer, less pronounced f...

Post sponsored by Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs. See below for more details. In the realm of fall cooking, Brussels sprouts are king in my kitchen. We're constantly eating oven roasted Brussels sprouts as a side or tossing them into grain bowls. They are quick, easy, and delicious. This dish is a slight update on the basic roasted Brussels. It combines fennel-toasted breadcrumbs and perfect soft-boiled eggs for an impressive side (or lunch, if you're me)! Read more and see the recipe. The post Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Jammy Eggs appeared first on Naturally Ella . from Naturally Ella https://ift.tt/2R9K0dF Erin Alderson October 23, 2018 at 05:33PM

More than I like to admit, I am a creature of habit in cooking. Most of the time, I return to favorite recipes. Breakfast is almost always oatmeal. And, at the market I buy the same kinds of produce every week. During the fall, it is almost guaranteed that I have a head of cauliflower in my refrigerator. The larger heads can easily make two meals. Occasionally, I can find stands that charge by the head instead of by the pound. It’s these weeks that it feels like we’re eating all the roasted cauliflower recipes. Why Roasting? I am under the firm belief that most produce items go through a magical process when being roasted. All it takes is a little oil, salt, and heat. The caramelization makes the cauliflower perfectly tender. Plus, the flavor mellows and sweetens just slightly. It’s a winning combination of texture and flavor.   Cauliflower in Color At the market or store, you might orange, green or purple cauliflower. They are beautiful and just happen to be quite simil...