Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Posted on by Amanda 1 Comment

Is it “brussel sprouts” or “brussels sprouts”? If you say it fast enough, they both sound the same. Regardless how you spell it, these cute mini cabbages are so tasty if prepared correctly. Don’t make the mistake of boiling them. Roast them instead! You’ll get a variety of textures from tender to crispy crunchy so you’ll just want to keep eating them.

Ingredients

Honey – The honey adds just enough sweetness to balance the slight bitterness from the sprouts. It also helps with caramelization at the end to leave you with the most flavorful bite. You could substitute this with agave as well or leave it out all together.

Balsamic vinegar – Now that you have the crunchy, tender, bitter, sweet, and salty together, the balsamic vinegar provides a little brightness and acid. You can also substitute with any other vinegar you prefer.

big bois
trim and quarter
chop chopped
olive oil
first roast
honey + balsamic
saucy
*drools*

Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Print Recipe
The perfect tender and crispy Brussels sprouts that are ready in a pinch.
Course Side Dish
Keyword brussels sprouts, vegetarian

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb brussels sprouts
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375F.
  • Rinse brussel sprouts, trim the dry end, and quarter. If you have smaller sprouts, you can just cut them in half. Put brussels directly in the skillet.
  • Add olive oil, salt and pepper to skillet. Mix sprouts so they are all coated in oil and seasonings.
  • Put skillet on top rack of oven and allow brussels to cook for 15 minutes.
  • While they are in the oven, mix together the honey and balsamic vinegar.
  • After 15 minutes, drizzle Brussels sprouts with honey balsamic mixture. Gently stir.
  • Return skillet to oven for another 5 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and enjoy!

Have these with some 10-Minute Soy Ginger Noodles or use them as a topping for Pumpkin Soup.

The oven’s going to be on so might as well make some Crispy Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies or Banana Bread!

My Favorite Focaccia

Posted on by Amanda 3 Comments

Nothing beats fresh bread! I love to make this focaccia when I have a big group gathering. It’s a perfect make ahead item that’s can be ready when guests arrive to snack on. I like to serve this with some butter and olive oil/balsamic vinegar on the side. It’s one of the easiest breads to make since the ingredients are so simple, you only need a sheet pan, and no kneading is required.

Ingredients

Honey – The sweetener is added to help the yeast get going. You can substitute this with other sweeteners too! I’ve tried this with sugar and agave if you’d like to make it completely vegan. Use the same quantity if substituting other sweeteners.

Herbs de provence – Typical herbs de provence blends contain savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and oregano. The one I use from Trader Joe’s also contains lavender. If you don’t like any of the herbs in the blend, you can use any singular herb! A rosemary focaccia or thyme focaccia is also lovely. You could even switch it up and use garlic powder, onion powder, or any other aromatic.

Salt – I like using table salt for in the dough and flaky salt for the top of the focaccia. After the focaccia bakes, I like that you can see the salt on top.

Olive oil – This bread requires quite a bit of olive oil. It really strengthens the flavor of the bread and helps it crisp up in the oven. Don’t skimp on the oil!

honey + yeast
add water
herbs in
flour
mix!
oil for the bowl
bread has risen
coat pan with olive oil
pour out onto pan
2nd rise!
fresh bread!

My Favorite Focaccia

Print Recipe
Crispy, fluffy, rich focaccia – perfect to bring to any gathering or have as an accompaniment to any meal.
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Keyword bread, focaccia
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 1 sheet pan full

Equipment

  • Stand mixer optional

Ingredients

  • 2.5 cups warm water
  • 4.5 tsp yeast dry active
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 4 tsp salt
  • 5 cups flour all purpose
  • 2 tsp herbes de provence + extra for topping
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • flakey salt for topping

Instructions

  • Bloom yeast in warm water and honey. Mix together and allow to sit until mixture begins to foam.
  • Add flour, salt, and herbs de provence. If using a stand mixer, use the hook attachment.
  • Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise overnight in the refrigerator, up to 48 hours. OR if you're lazy like me, instead of transferring to another bowl, pour some oil into the mixing bowl, targeting the sides of the bowl, making sure to coat the ball of dough.
  • When ready to bake, generously coat a sheet pan in olive oil and empty dough onto sheet pan.
  • Let come up to room temperature ~30 minutes.
  • Using hands, spread and stretch dough to cover entire sheet pan. Dimple dough with fingers. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with flakey salt and extra herbes de provence.
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes at 450F until crispy and browned.
  • Cut into squares and enjoy alone, with more olive oil & balsamic vinegar or butter!

Looking for something bready but sweet? Try Banana Bread or Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread.

Try this focaccia alongside some Pumpkin Soup.

Pumpkin Soup

Posted on by Amanda Leave a comment
pumpkin thyme soup

A luscious, creamy pumpkin soup that’ll fill you up and keep you warm. True pumpkin flavor (not pumpkin spice) that’s flavored with garlic and thyme and creamy with some soy milk. This pumpkin soup is (accidentally) vegan and you can’t even tell. The pumpkin gives it such a pretty color and it’s an excellent vehicle for all sorts of exciting toppings. The soup is also wonderful to have later in the week and freezes well for an emergency meal when cooking is not an option.

Veggie soups like this pumpkin soup are some of my favorite go to weeknight dinners because they are so low maintenance. All you have to do is grab a bunch of vegetables or aromatics, cook them, add some liquid, blend together, and you have a satisfying, warm dinner!

Ingredients

Garlic – I used a lot of garlic here, but you really can’t tell that there’s this much garlic in the soup. As the garlic cooks, it sweetens so it doesn’t have that sharpness to it in the soup. It really brightens the flavor of the pumpkin. Sometimes I do even more than just 7 cloves…

Pumpkin – I highly recommend using fresh pumpkin. Try making my Homemade Pumpkin Puree.

Soy milk – You can use any milk alternative here for a creamy soup or use a stock for a brothy soup. I generally have oat milk or soy milk on hand since my body tends to reject cow milk. Pumpkin puree is generally thick on its own, so the additional liquid of milk or stock helps thin it to more of a desirable consistency.

Thyme – My CSA provides herbs as well as produce! I usually have random herbs hanging upside down from my kitchen cabinets waiting to be sprinkled into a recipe. Here I have some thyme that has been drying in my kitchen for a few months now. You can use fresh thyme or dried thyme you can get at the grocery store too.

Toppings – The soup is delicious on its own, but its more fun with more toppings. I topped mine with some garlic, sautéed spinach and some spicy homemade croutons. Top with whatever you may have on hand to add more dimension and texture. I’d try caramelized onions, crackers, or even toasted nuts. No toppings? No problem. Try it with a slice of toasty bread for dipping.

Method

Blender – I used an immersion blender for this soup since I didn’t want to watch a blender/lid combo, but a traditional blender works fine! Blend to your desired consistency using whatever method works best for you.

pumpkin thyme soup
garlic
pumpkin thyme soup
pumpkin
pumpkin thyme soup
soy milk
pumpkin thyme soup
blend
pumpkin thyme soup
thyme
pumpkin thyme soup
add toppings & enjoy!
pumpkin thyme soup

Pumpkin Thyme Soup

Print Recipe
A thick, comforting soup to get you through the rest of winter.
Course Main Course, Soup
Keyword pumpkin, soup, thyme, vegan, vegetarian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

  • heavy bottom pot
  • blender

Ingredients

  • 7 cloves garlic
  • 4 cups pumpkin puree fresh
  • 2 cups soy milk
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • salt
  • pepper

Instructions

  • In a heavy bottom pot, saute garlic for a few minutes, until lightly browned.
  • Add pumpkin puree and mix with garlic for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add soy milk and mix together with pumpkin and garlic.
  • Allow to simmer ~8 minutes until garlic softens.
  • Blend the pumpkin, soy milk, garlic mixture together until creamy and texture evens.
  • Add 1 tsp of thyme.
  • Season with salt & pepper to taste.
  • Serve immediately with any toppings you'd like! I had mine with sautéed garlic spinach and homemade spicy rosemary croutons.

Interested in other pumpkin recipes?

Try Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread or Pumpkin Panang Curry with Spinach and Paneer.

Pumpkin Panang Curry with Spinach and Paneer

Posted on by Amanda 2 Comments
panang curry

Curries are one of my favorite dishes to make when you need something warm and filling, especially panang curry. They are easy to riff on and combinations are really endless of types of curry, veg, and proteins you can use. You can make curries as sweet, spicy, or salty as you like. They can also be served in a multitude of ways: rice, noodles, bread, even on its own!

Ingredients

  • ingredients for panang curry
    some of our ingredients
  • coconut milk
    coconut cream at the top

Curry paste – Regardless of the curry paste I use, I always like to start with my own base of chilis, garlic, and ginger. I think it adds a lot more flavor to the curry overall and I like mine extra spicy. Omit the extra chilis if it’s too spicy for you. I recommend the Mae Ploy brand for panang curry paste.

Protein – I like experimenting with different variations of protein, so choose whatever you like best. I do suggest if you use other proteins (tofu, chicken, beef, pork, seafood) that you cook them through first, and then add to your curry towards the end, like the paneer. 

Veg – Sauteed/wilted spinach is one of my favorite cooked vegetables and it’s also so easy. Pumpkin is also widely available due to the season. Use any vegetables that you may find in season like kale, peppers, onions, kabocha squash, or bokchoy, to name a few.

Coconut milk – Buy the canned coconut milk, not the one you see in in the cardboard or plastic containers you might see near the cow milk. When you open it, you may see that the coconut cream has separated from the milk. Don’t worry. Just mix it all together and you have your fatty coconut milk!

Side – Rice is the classic side to a curry but try it with a noodle! The curry makes for a luxurious sauce and it’s also not bad to dip a crusty piece of bread into.

Method

  • pumpkin panang curry with spinach and paneer
    sauté chilis, ginger, garlic
  • pumpkin panang curry with spinach and paneer
    add that pumpkin
  • pumpkin panang curry with spinach and paneer
    + coconut milk
  • pumpkin panang curry with spinach and paneer
    spinach is wilting
  • pumpkin panang curry with spinach and paneer
    throw in that paneer
panang curry

Pumpkin Panang Curry with Spinach and Paneer

Print Recipe
A spicy, warm curry perfect for fall & winter. Service over rice, noodles, or with a bread for sipping.
Course Main Course
Keyword curry, paneer, spinach
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Thai chilis optional
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger
  • 1 tbsp panang curry paste
  • 1 cup pumpkin pureed
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 16 oz spinach fresh or frozen
  • 8 oz paneer
  • 1 tsp fish sauce

Instructions

  • Sauté chilis, ginger, and garlic in olive oil on medium heat.
  • After it all starts getting fragrant, add in curry paste and mix.
  • While spices are sautéing, cut paneer in desired shape. I like cubes.
  • Add pumpkin and mix into curry paste.
  • Once curry-pumpkin paste has slightly darkened in color, add in coconut milk. Turn heat to medium-low.
  • If coconut milk has separated, mix spices with coconut until re-combined. Make sure to scrape the can!
  • Add 1 tbsp fish sauce and mix.
  • When curry starts simmering, add spinach and paneer.
  • Mix and continue cooking until spinach has wilted and paneer is warmed through.
  • Enjoy over rice, with noodles, or with some bread for dipping!

Try out a dessert for after like Beet Cinnamon Rolls or Crispy Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Maybe an appetizer? Chicken & Cabbage Dumplings.

Beet Cinnamon Rolls

Posted on by Amanda 4 Comments

During the pandemic of summer 2021 I signed up for a farmbox/CSA (community supported agriculture) and also experimented with a lot of baking. From that came… beet cinnamon rolls!

After being extremely sedentary while working from home, I decided to focus my diet on more whole foods and vegetables. Now that I’ve joined the CSA, I look forward to going to pick up my vegetables every week and it’s continued even through the winter! Each week I find something I don’t typically buy for myself (like beets!), so it’s fun to come up with a new application for the vegetables I get in my box. It’s amazing to know the farmer, see the land, and know exactly how your food gets to you.

I love beets, but I really have only had them cold, unseasoned, and tossed in a salad. I wanted something completely different and really wanted to showcase their beautiful color.

These cinnamon rolls stayed moist and weren’t too sweet. Perfect for breakfast or for dessert. There’s a little earthy, beet-y aroma that balances well with the cinnamon and the sweetness. They keep well in the fridge for up to a week and taste best reheated in a toaster oven or in the microwave. 

When making the beet puree, the vibrant color stays if you blend raw beets. It’s definitely a lot harder to blend raw beets, but with some time and patience, you’ll have beautiful, bright cinnamon rolls. You can use cooked beets, but the cinnamon rolls will come out a more dark brown color. Let me know what you think!

Beet Cinnamon Rolls

Print Recipe
Vibrant, perfectly sweet, and dare I say… healthy? Try these out!
Course Dessert
Keyword beets, cinnamon, rolls
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 24 cinnamon rolls

Equipment

  • Stand mixer optional
  • Rolling Pin or other cylindrical object

Ingredients

Dough

  • 4.5 tsp dry active yeast
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 1 cup beets cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6 cup all purpose flour

Filling

  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon

Instructions

  • Mix together yeast, warm water, and sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow yeast to bloom.
  • Blend raw beets with milk. Try to get this mixture as smooth as possible. You may need to stop the blend to get the beets pulsed through. 
  • Combine yeast mixture and beet blend with egg, sugar, cinnamon, vegetable oil, and salt. Mix thoroughly. 
  • Add flour, cover, and rest until doubled in size. You can also let this rest overnight covered in the fridge.
  • To make the filling, mix together softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
  • After dough has risen, split in half. Each half will make 12 cinnamon rolls.
  • Roll half the dough mixture into a large rectangle, approximately 9" x 13". hot tip: if you don't have a rolling pin, it's perfectly acceptable to use any other cylindrically shaped item (wine bottle, water bottle, etc)
  • Spread half the mixture evenly onto the rolled dough.
  • Roll the longest end of the dough forward, creating a long log.
  • Cut your log into 12 cinnamon rolls and place in a 9" x 13" pan or put 6 in a 9" x 5". Leave some space as they will rise again.
  • Repeat with the other half of the dough to create 12 more rolls. hot tip: freeze one pan of cinnamon rolls for another day
  • Allow the cinnamon rolls to rise covered in a warm place.
  • Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, until cinnamon rolls are fluffy and lightly browned.

Check out my other recipes here!