The deep reds, oranges, and golden yellows of the leaves signal the start of the Holiday season and summon the urge to be seek coziness and warm comfort foods, while visions of Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas parties dance in our heads.The time has come, and this year I greet the Holiday season with fresh determination to present our loved ones with flavorful, vegetable based dishes. As I've said before, squash is to Fall as tomatoes are to Summer. Which means I try to fit squash into everything we are eating, from stews, soups, chilis, pastas, salads, you name it. 

Let it be known that between the dates of approximately December 8th to December 24th 25th 26th, my body composition consisted of 70% cookies, 10% caramel, 10% chocolate, 5% eggs, 3% oranges, and 2% water. Maybe that's why I feel like December sprinted past me. I was in a cookie/candy coma.

While I had visions of myself presenting people with large platters of delectable, Martha Stewart-worthy Christmas cookies, the very thought of eating another baked good or candy actually increased my bloating exponentially. I really didn’t even want to taste the batter, and the batter is one of the best parts about baking! It finally dawned on me.  No one else wants any more Christmas goodies either. 

Eating healthy is definitely a priority to me so setting aside time to plan out or prepare food is necessary. My favorite meal of the day is breakfast, I actually require two of them. Since I’ve been working during this time I had to come up with something easy, satiating, delicious, AND mobile. 

I have been dreaming of this recipe for a while now. I’ve tried a couple of variations but things all came together Friday night, on a whim. I wanted something similar to granola, but not as scattered. Something akin to an apple crisp topping but may not as crunchy. It needed to have some spice in it, kind of like a good ginger molasses cookie. This is what happened. I figured it was the perfect second post for ‘The Grateful Plate’ series. In case you missed the last post, The Grateful Plate series is my response to the benevolence of those who donated to Lainee’s gofundme account. 

I have decided to start my first series ever! I shall call it, 'The Grateful Plate'. This series is dedicated to everyone who has shown us love and support during Lainee’s journey! Whether it is in the form of comments on Instagram, text messages, emails, visits, cards, or donating to Lainee’s gofundme account, we can’t thank you enough for making us feel so loved and cared for, and for helping to ease the burden of this journey! 

For me, making food is kind of a neutralizer. Or maybe, normalizer is a better way to say that. In stressful situations it makes me feel like I am doing the following:

• being productive
• providing something healthy and nourishing for someone
• showing my family and friends I love them

Great things about naan. 1) What's better than warm, chewy bread, slightly charred (my FAVORITE), lightly brushed with butter? Not many things, which is why you need to make homemade naan as soon as possible! 2) Naan pairs well with anything. Dip it in hummus or olive oil, pair it with soup or Lentil Chickpea Stew with Tomato + Coconut Sauce. 3) It is easy to make. I've got the perfect recipe for you. Also, through much trial and error, I found four integral parts to making perfect naan. All you need are the ingredients!

Our go to fast(er) food places are Chipotle and Vui's Kitchen. This summer while I was training for the Chicago Marathon, I had a slight case of food poisoning the night before and then again after my run. It was the only long run I did inside, you know, easy access to bathrooms... I needed something that would be easy on my stomach, and Vui's pho was just the remedy. I now associate it with magical healing powers. Making broth from scratch is something I have always wanted to do and was also a goal for this year in my life, this was a great starter recipe to fulfill my goal! (One more thing!! Hello to my precious friend Jess, from college, who requested this recipe!!)

Nashville has had more 'April' weather than 'February' these past couple of days. The trees are blooming, daffodils are popping up EVERYWHERE, and the sun feels warm. Last night I went for a run and heard frogs down by the river's edge. I don't like it. This recipe is an 'Ode to Winter Weather'. The perfect warm, hearty meal to cozy up with during a snowstorm....

I have been making Lentil Mushroom Meatballs on the reg for the last two years. After a long history with veggie burgers, I welcomed the challenge of developing a recipe for flavorful 'meat'balls. I figured it was an attainable goal since veggie burgers are one of my favorite things to eat. In the process, I found two magical ingredients that really make these AMAZEMEATLESSBALLS!!!

Things are hectic right now. It seems like every minute during this season is filled with holiday activities, whether its shopping for Christmas presents, attending Christmas functions, watching Hallmark Christmas movies, or baking Christmas treats! Busy times plus the fact that my diet has recently consisted of pumpkin molasses cookies, espresso shortbread with butterscotch glaze, the bag of potato chips someone left at our house from our Christmas party (I don't even like potato chips but these are just so DELICIOUS), and citrus fruit.

This is why it is KEY to have a couple healthy, easy, quick recipes on hand! Add warm and filling to the list, and here you have the perfect winter dinner!

This recipe has been my go to recipe for years!! It is super quick, easy, and nutritious! Somehow, during the last couple of months, I managed to make it even easier by straight up microwaving the sweet potato instead of roasting it.... This recipe is will be the perfect addition to your life during these next few weeks when everyone seems to have delicious holiday candy and cookies on hand.

Aside from being healthy and worthy of the mid-chewing 'mmmmmm's' (I'm thinking specifically of the scene in What About Bob? where Bob is eating corn at the family dinner table), my favorite recipes have three things in common: 

1. They make great leftovers  
2. They are easy and relatively quick  
3. They keep me satiated for a long time  

I love to be sneaky and trick people who usually shy away from anything labeled 'vegetarian' or 'vegan' into eating exactly those kinds of things and then watching their reactions of surprise and delight.

This is a GREAT recipe for that purpose. 

Obviously, breakfast on Friday is always BRÛLÉED MAPLE PUMPKIN PIE WITH GINGERSNAP CRUST  and then for lunch you have leftovers, of course. Growing up, I loved leftovers on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Everyone loves the first round of leftovers. 

Its day 4 of leftovers that I dread. The turkey is dry. The rolls are rather stale. Someone ate all the marshmallows off of the sweet potato casserole. And I wouldn't touch the green bean casserole with a ten foot pole, no matter how fresh they were. 

In walks you, tamer of delicious Thanksgiving vegetable delights. Carrying a platter of beautifully roasted butternut and delicata squash, topped with savory barley and farro, pomegranate and toasted pepitas, topped with warm maple cinnamon drizzle. As soon as you reach the table, the compliments start flowing, even conservative Aunt Janice pipes up! 

My least favorite Thanksgiving dishes seem to be the items that no one would ever dream of replacing. Every Thanksgiving, I see the sponge like, wood colored stuffing along side the worm-like green bean casserole. I usually pass up both of those options, and not just to make room for pumpkin pie. Now that I am in charge of Thanksgiving, I look forward to more than just rolls and pumpkin pie! One of the highlights of our holiday meals is definitely my Wild Rice dressing. It has been a mainstay on our table for about five years now, and was one of the first, more creative vegetable dishes I made when we started cutting meat out of our diets.  

I've been roasting squash and sweet potatoes almost daily trying to perfect recipes for Thanksgiving sides, and after eating squash all day I wanted something opposite of roasted root vegetables.I turned around and looked at the groceries waiting to be put away. A head of romaine, some raw pepitas, and a bag of unsweetened cocoa. Romaine! Romaine is crunchy and crispy! So are pepitas!  And then, Romaine Dream Boats with Toasted Pepitas were born.

This recipe is so easy to make, its not even funny. You don't even need utensils!! With the Holiday season quickly approaching, this is a great quick and healthy option! It is also really easy to make it look fancy... 

I love squash. Squash squash squash. Squash is the tomato of Fall. Don't you think??? Squash is also one of the main ingredients in a dish I recently had at Spoon and Stable. The Autumn Vegetable Salad. Which I haven't stopped thinking about since. 

Pictures this: spelt berries, roasted squash, sliced figs, sprinkled with pecans, all on top of a buttermilk ranch drizzle. A pleasant conglomeration of textures and tastes. 

This is the easiest, most delicious way to make homemade pasta. Trust me. I've tried many recipes and most of them call for fancy pasta driers/tools or use a sack of flour. Or, in most cases, have left me with gummy, bloated, wormlike strings and dinner at 10:00 pm. 

I had 3 issues to solve. The recipe needed to consider the following things:

1. Easy ingredient list
2. No frills preparation
3. Successful cooking method

A couple of years ago, I did an internship with a health club in Minneapolis. I assisted with a twelve week program that provided a group of clients (about 25 - 30) with nutrition advice and 6:00 am workouts six days a week. I left my house by 5:00 am to get there on time, which means I woke up between 4:00 - 4:30 am every day. The quickest, most filling breakfast I could make, was a tortilla with egg whites, and maybe beans if I had enough time to open a can. My mouth is drier than the sahara desert just thinking about them. I cannot eat store bought tortillas. I hate the way they smell, taste, and last for years in the fridge. Even when they're slathered with peanut butter, I just can't do it.

I knew the solution was to make my own, but I was deterred for about 3 years by the fact that every single recipe I looked at involved lard or shortening. It took a couple months, but I finally developed a recipe and cooking method that works perfectly! 

It took me a couple of years to acclimate to Nashville summers. No t-shirts (if you sweat as much as I do...), God help us, NO gray, breathable fabrics only, no pants EVER, you get the idea. One night before dinner time, I asked P to research exactly this: 'cold summer vegetable recipes' and 'cold dinners for hot summer days'. We didn't really find much that could be ready super quick. (Sometimes I wait until I absolutely MUST eat within minutes, and that kind of limits things.) 

In addition to the 4th of July, it is also my 6th 4th of July here in Nashville, and my 4 month anniversary with Grilled Romaine, which I thought would be the perfect third addition to my Red, White, and Blue series. Grilled Romaine is divine. It has a slightly smokey flavor and remains fairly crispy after the grilling process. The olive oil, salt, and black pepper act as a sort of frosting. The granny smith apple matchsticks add an additional crisp, and for those who eat meat, the pancetta is a delightful salty addition. 

ODE TO GRILLED PIZZA

Roses are red, violets are blue, all day long I think about you.

The way the mozzarella melts so evenly, it fills every crevice just so evenly.

Your ever so crispy crust, makes my heart want to bust. 

First thing in the morning, and late into the night, I just can't wait until my next bite!!!

One of my favorite people in the world, Brooke, told me that she has a special term for May; 'CRAYMAY'. CrayMay INDEED. 

Butternut Squash Pasta is one of my go-tos when we need a good substantial dinner in a short amount of time. Super delicious, easy, and quick! You probably already have several of the ingredients on hand. The only ingredient I usually have to buy is the butternut squash. 

I took a few short cuts, especially with the broth. Added some roasted sweet potato, which is DELIGHTFUL, but not the most ramen-authentic thing in the world. You know what was authentic? The soft boiled egg with runny yolk. A perfect pillowy island with golden streams of yolk pouring out.

We are hosting Thanksgiving AGAIN this year, and my dreams are coming true.

One of my most favorite parts of being an adult is having control over our holiday plans. This year we will be joined by seven friends and two kiddos . Having friends, my chosen family, surround us on holidays feels like the highest honor to me. I am BEYOND excited! Feeding friends and family is one of my favorite ways to say, I love you!!!

That being said, I want to make sure everything we eat is as yummy as possible, so it was time for a pie run-through. I’ve been making Brûléed Maple Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust for YEARS and look forward to it every time. I made several adjustments to the original recipe, making it dairy free and even tastier than I remembered!

Trust me when I say this - homemade nut butter cups are LIGHT-YEARS more delicious than your average Reese's Peanut Butter cup! They are pretty easy to make and just so happen to be dairy free and gluten free. I used my Vegan Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Easter Eggs recipe and made two tiny adjustments...

This recipe is late. V late. But I worked hard to perfect this ONE BOWL version of Vegan Gingerbread Cookies, and wanted to share it so that at the very least, it will be here next year and we can plan ahead! I am squeezing out every last bit of holiday cheer during these last few days of 2016, and sharing this recipe is one way I can do that! I am SOOO happy to report that no one could guess these were vegan, including my friends sweet mom. I delivered some cookies, and right before I left she complimented me on them. I told her they were vegan! She was just so shocked, because she has never had vegan desserts because when she wants dessert, she wants dessert!!!

Its Christmas time and time for a carol, time to sing about the little King,

to fill the bowl and roll out the barrel have our selves a fling!

AND TIME FOR CHRISTMAS TREATS!

Here are some delicious Christmas dessert recipes! Most of these recipes have been healthified (pretty sure that is not a real word, but it should be...) where possible, but you know, they're cookies so they're not as healthy as a carrot... 

I have been lactose intolerant since before it was a 'thing'. The older I get, the more sensitive I am to even the smallest amounts of dairy. That being said, I don't even want to eat ice cream anymore because it makes me feel so terrible. One of my goals for the summer was to perfect a recipe for vegan ice cream. After many trials and tribulations, I realized there were four major problems. SPOILER ALERT. I SOLVED THEM ALL and Roasted Banana Salted Date Caramel Swirl was born! I think this is one of the best recipes I've ever developed!

Strawberry picking is one of our favorite summer activities! Usually we pick about three to four buckets of strawberries, but this time we we had to scale back a bit due to the size of the freezer in our new house. (I'm fairly certain our freezer was designed by someone with only ice cube and frozen pea storage in mind) 

Until we can get a new fridge/freezer, I've taken to bribing people with berry desserts in exchange for freezer space. This pie is my newest bribery tool! The strawberry fruit swims in a sweet syrup right on top of a rich layer of cashew cream, all of which is complimented by a salty pistachio crumble on top.

Aside from the dark chocolate Easter bunnies, Resee's peanut butter cup eggs used to be one of the most highly coveted treasures in those Easter baskets. Then, one day, I became an adult and now most sweet things that you can buy in the candy aisle make me feel terrible, and I am not even the least bit tempted to indulge. One day I was making protein bars, and then these happened. What a happy accident!! I've experimented several times, and after making these into hearts, shamrocks, and medallians, I am so proud of how this recipe turned out! 

100% more delicious than Reese's peanut butter cups and probably 100% healthier too! Peanut Butter Filling: 8 ingredients, including vanilla and salt. Dark Chocolate Covering: 3 - 4, ingredients including salt.

These bars are already healthier than your average cookie or dessert bar, but I wanted to see if I could make them even healthier by using a mix of different flours, some wheat bran, flax seed eggs, and cutting down on the sugar and coconut oil by adding dates. My thought was that I could use them on my long runs, since I had run out of Picky Bars. The second version was packed with fiber….and therefore not a good choice for before or during a workout…. Know what I’m sayin?

I finally found the perfect mix! It just happens to be gluten free, and includes the option to make them vegan/egg free. 

I was home for a week in October, and the morning I left, we got up early and had breakfast at Rustica Bakery in Minneapolis. Everything we had was extraordinary and since Chris wasn't with me, I had to bring back some treats for him. Miraculously, the box of cookies stayed shut the whole entire flight back to Nashville. It didn't last long in the parking lot of the airport!  Where most people have visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads at this time of year, we've had visions of bittersweet chocolate chip cookies on repeat.

As much as I enjoy decorating these cookies, I am not convinced that they are memorably tasty. I think I love the first cut-out sugar cookie. They are a little too sweet for me and the clean up and prep takes too much time. So my goal was to find something different, delicious, a little bit easier with less prep work, and memorable. And then I read about Espresso Shortbread with Butterscotch Glaze. Does it get more unique than this? 

I made this Vegan Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie and then realized it was perfect for our vegan friends. The other reason I made these is because I have a friend who much prefers savory over dessert, and Take 6 bars are her favorite. I wanted her to be able to enjoy a little something sweet too! And anyways, I have never met someone who didn't like a peanut butter/pretzel/chocolate combo. Have you?????

The memory of this pie tugs at me during the hottest months of the summer. It is that good.

I love pumpkin pie, and always have since I was little. Growing up in Minnesota, the weather was usually pretty cold by the time Thanksgiving rolled around, so we could just store pies in the garage. I used to sneak out to the garage with a fork and just help myself from time to time. I consider myself a pumpkin pie enthusiast.  It's possible I gave myself away by leaving pits of crust behind. Friends, I believe I have solved the problem of boring crust. 

I oscillate between feeling on the cusp of being real life adult, and therefore being ready for the responsibility of a human life, and still feeling like a tween. Read on for evidence...

One thing I have improved on over the last few years is making healthy versions of my favorite desserts! I am lactose intolerant, and even though I love cheesecake, I usually end up feeling awful after eating it. The 'cheesecake' filling is thick and velvety. It is smooth and cooling to the tongue, with a slight nutty taste. It is custardy and the level of sweetness from maple syrup is perfect. The touch of lemon lends a certain tang, reminiscent of cream cheese. You will be shocked that this is dairy-free (minus the chocolate if you'd decide to use it!)!  

It is H O T. The kind of hot that makes you drip sweat even when you are standing still. The kind of 'hot' that turns the metal part of your seat belt into a weapon with a risk of burn. So hot, that even at 9:30 pm, doing the polka makes you look like you just went swimming. Not that it has ever happened to me or anything . . . Summer is a big bowl of cold watermelon on a hot day. I look forward to watermelon season all year long!! These days I am averaging at least one watermelon a week. Reading and frozen desserts, much like watermelon, are also major requirements of summer. I was lucky enough to find a brand spankin' new copy of The Big Gay Ice Cream book at McKay's Used Bookstore last week. It stopped me dead in my tracks. I AM OBSESSED. Their sorbet recipes inspired me to make watermelon sorbet. 

Our car broke down again, for the second time in the past couple weeks, so Chris takes our working car and I work from home. Unless I have to run an errand, then I literally run them. So there I was, running an errand. It was a drizzling and I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Selected Shorts. Wham. Bam. Alakazam. Cracklin' Oat Bran. I wanted some. And wouldn't that make such a yummy tasting tart crust perfectly matched with fresh hand picked strawberries and rhubarb??