Kale Chips

Take Kale, rinse, tear into bits and pieces like you would for salad, scramble, etc. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Toss with some EVOO to lightly coat, then sprinkle with topping of choice. I opted for a some nutritional yeast and sea salt.

Layer onto a lined baking sheet and bake until chip like – about 10 to 15 minutes.

Eat & Enjoy!

Mexican Rice

Purely as an experiment I decided to make mexican rice to go with the oodles of cooked pinto beans I have stashed in the freezer. I also opted to make a large batch in order to freeze and eat for lunches or quick dinners.

This makes 8-1 cup servings

1 tbsp EVOO
1 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2 cups brown rice (I used long grain)
4 cups vegetable stock
4 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups frozen peas
2 cups frozen corn
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:
Heat EVOO over medium, add diced onion and saute until soft. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Stir in spices and sautee another minute. Add rice, vegetable stock, and tomato paste, simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Stir in peas and corn until heated.

Serve as a side or in burritos, tacos, or whatever you like!

 

Spaghetti Squash

I turned my spaghetti squash into spaghetti! All I did was cut the squash in half, remove the seeds, steamed until tender, and scooped out the inside with a fork (so it’s spaghetti!). The I sauteed some cherry tomatoes my friend Bubba left for me from his garden with some EVOO and garlic. It was really good. I’ve had spaghetti squash before, but always as a side, not my main dish. This turned out great!

Roasted Green Beans

Trim Green Beans, toss in EVOO and Sea Salt. Roast at 400F for about 15-20 minutes. Simple, Tasty, and Fast. You can add in almond slices too (I did not, since one of my Thanksgiving guests has tree nut allergy).

Candied Yams

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into rounds

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup Earth Balance Butter

1 1/2 cup water

Combine the brown sugar, EB, and water together over medium heat. Simmer potatoes until tender. Add water if needed, but you want to get a thicker caramel sauce. If you add too much water and need to thicken the sauce take a tablespoon of cornstarch and mix with 3 tbsp hot water until dissolved and stir into the sauce.

Homemade Microwave Popcorn

1 paper lunch bag and then put in 1 tbsp kernels, 1 tsp evoo, toss, and them staple the top shut (no, the staples won’t spark in the microwave) and then microwave until the popping slows to 3-4 seconds (i think mine took 2 minutes), sprinkle with salt and enjoy!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Turnips

Roasted Turips and Brussels Sprouts:

16 ounces Brussels Sprouts, halved

2 turnips (about 3 cups diced)

2 tbsp EVOO

1 tbsp rosemary

1 tbsp thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 450, dice turnips and halve brussels sprouts, toss with EVOO to coat and then spread onto a pan. Sprinkle with Rosemary and Thyme, and then the salt and pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes, turn them, then roast 15 more minutes, until turnips are tender.

Candied Yams

Recipe:

2 larger sweet potatoes

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1-2 tbsp earth balance butter

1.Wash, peel, and slice the sweet potatoes

2. In a skillet on medium heat combined the water, brown sugar, earth balance butter.3. Simmer slices and turn them every 5-10 minutes until tender. Adding water, brown suagr, and EB when needed. I usually just add water and pour the remaining sugary mixture of the finished potatoes. But if you’re making more than just two potatoes you’ll need to add some more sugar and EB as you go along.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Recipe:

1 pound Brussels Sprouts, washed and halved

EVOO

Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees

2. Toss Brussels Sprouts with some EVOO.

3. Roast in oven for 10 minutes.

4. Remove and toss with some salt and pepper (and any other spices you may like) and return to oven a roast for 5-10 more minutes.

Pumpkin Biscuits

Recipe:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup rice milk

3 tablespoons EVOO

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Lightly oil a baking sheet and set it aside.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and allspice in a large bowl, then set aside.
3. Combine pumpkin, milk, oil, and maple syrup in a medium bowl and stir until smooth.
4. Combine the flour mixture with the pumpkin mixture. Stir just until the mixture holds together; avoid over mixing, or biscuits will be tough.
5. Roll dough out on a lightly-floured work surface and roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter or a drinking glass, cut out dough into rounds and place on prepared baking sheet. Reroll dough scraps and continue to cut out until all dough has been used.
6. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes, until tops are golden brown. Serve hot.