Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Caramelized Onions, Apples and Tempeh Bacon

November 14, 2012 Leave a Comment

With only a little over a week before Thanksgiving, it’s time to get serious about sides.  Are you still trying to figure out your Thanksgiving menu? Well, here are a few fabulous and healthy dishes from around the web you might want to consider:

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower by Choosing Raw
Cornbread Stuffing with Maple Acorn Squash  by Gluten-Free Goddess
Wild Mushroom Gravy by Oh My Veggies
Vegan Pull apart Dinner Rolls by Oh She Glows

And my contribution:

Rosted Brussel Sprouts with Caramelized Onions, Apples, and Tempeh Bacon
serves 4

1 1/2 pound brussel sprouts, washed, trimmed, and halved
1 small yellow onion, julienned
1/2 Granny Smith Apple, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

6 slices of tempeh bacon

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine prepared brussel sprouts, onions, apples. Add olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread out onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, turning several times, until brussel sprouts begin to brown and become tender.

Meanwhile heat oil in and small cast iron skillet. Add tempeh bacon and cook on each side for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces and set aside.

Remove roasted brussel sprout mixture from oven and add tempeh bacon. Mix together and serve.

Are you still trying to figure out what to make for Thanksgiving? If there are any dishes you would like veganized, let me know. I will be making Thanksgiving sides and desserts until the big feast!

Filed Under: dinner Tagged With: , , , ,

Mashed Butternut Squash with Brown Butter and Sage

November 8, 2012 1 Comment

Today for “Thanksgiving Month” I made Mashed Butternut Squash, a healthier option to the beloved Mashed Potato, topped with Mushroom Sage Gravy. The nutty, caramel flavors of the brown butter combined with the sweet butternut squash makes a perfect side for any Thanksgiving table.

Mashed Butternut Squash with Brown Butter and Sage
makes about 4 cups

 1 medium size butternut squash
2 tbsp browned vegan butter, I use Earth Balance
1tbsp fresh sage, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

serve with Mushroom Sage Gravy
* to make gluten-free, replace the flour with 1/4 cup cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice the butternut squash lengthwise down the center and remove the seeds. Wrap each half in tin foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 40-60 minutes, until very tender. Remove from oven and allow squash to cool.

Meanwhile brown the vegan butter by placing it in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Allow to boil and cook until light brown and fragrant. Remove from heat immediately and set aside.

Once the squash has cooled, scoop out the flesh and place in a big bowl. With an electric mixer combine all ingredients and whip to the consistency of mashed potatoes.

Serve immediately as is or with Sage Mushroom Gravy.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

Mashed Potatoes has always been (and will always be) my favorite part about thanksgiving. I could eat a big plate of garlicky, creamy potatoes slathered in gravy nearly every day of the year. This squash recipe, therefore, will never replace mashed potatoes at my Thanksgiving table, but I will definitely make room for the additional side because it is too good to pass up!

Filed Under: dinner, Fall Tagged With: , , , , ,

Baked Plantain Chips (x3)

August 15, 2012 9 Comments

Cinnamon Sugar Plantain chips

In 2005 I spent four months in Honduras. Over the course of those months I fell in love with the culture of Central America, the language, the music, and the food. I had expected to returned to Central America by now but with two cats, a dog, and a baby, travel (at this time in my life) feels a bit out of reach. Therefore whenever I have a chance to relive a little bit of the Honduran experience, I relish it.

Today, inspired by the traditional fried plantain, I created three flavors of baked plantain chips.

Curried Plantain Chips

Curried Plantain Chips 

1 plantain, sliced thinly

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp salt

 

Spicy Chili and Lime Plantain Chips

1 plantain, sliced thinly

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp lime juice

1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste)

1/4 tsp salt

 

Cinnamon Sugar Plantain Chips

1 plantain, sliced thinly

1 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Spicy Chili and Lime Plantain Chips

Spicy Chili and Lime Plantain Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

In a small bowl toss the sliced plantain in oil until thoroughly coated. Add spices and mix to evenly spread. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until plantains start to brown and curl up on the sides.

Remove from oven and cool. Enjoy or store in an air tight contain for  up to 5 days.

 

Filed Under: snacks Tagged With: , , ,

A Welcome (and some Squash Chips)

July 22, 2012 16 Comments

You found me!

As you can see, The Sweet Life underwent an extreme makeover last week. While I was enjoying my vacation in Central Oregon  I had some extra Eden-care and spent the free time preparing the launch of this: my new, self-hosted, much more user friendly webpage. Please look around and enjoy the new diggs.

But wait. Before you go exploring, I have something for you.

Squash Chips!

I have been getting So Much squash from my farm share. The first week squash showed up in my crate I cooked and pureed it for Eden.  The next week, with a freezer full of baby food and even more squash to use, I baked my first batch of veggie chips.

They were good, although they didn’t bake evenly and quickly lost their crunch. Last week when my crate came with a bounty of squash I brought out my dehydrator and tried the chips again. I preferred the dehydration method but I will share both techniques.

Squash Chips

about 4-5 large squash (I had zucchini, summer squash, and tromboncino squash) or whatever fits in your dehydrator (I did two rounds)

1-3 tbsp olive oil (depending on the size of the batch and preference)

salt and freshly ground pepper

*you can also use beets, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc.

Slice vegetables as thin as possible (about 1/8th-1/16th inch). Place squash in a big bowl, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix together to coat the squash.

To dehydrate: Place in single layer in your dehydrator, set to vegetable setting, and turn on for about 8 hours, until dry and a little crispy.

To bake: Spread single layer on cookie sheets. Bake at 220 degrees F for several hours until crisp. Allow to cool completely before storing.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Have you begun preserving any food yet from the summer harvest?

Filed Under: Eating in Season, snacks, Summer Tagged With: , , ,

Mushroom and Swiss Chard Frittata

July 9, 2012 3 Comments


Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Because I spent so many years skipping breakfast to make it to work by 5:30 a.m., I can now fully appreciate taking my time for a good, hearty meal to start the day and with Swiss chard in my farm crate I knew I would be making a frittata this week.

Mushroom and Swiss Chard Frittata
serves two

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 small yellow onion, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch swiss chard, chopped
4-5 large cremini mushrooms

4-5 ounces extra firm tofu
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded (I use Daiya)
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp tumeric
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a small baking dish or loaf pan.

In a small bowl crumble the tofu until it is the texture of ricotta cheese. Add nutritional yeast, vegan cheese, mustard, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent . Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add mushrooms and chard and saute for five minutes.

Mix vegetables into tofu mixture until uniformly combined. Firmly pack frittata mixture into baking dish smoothing over the top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until frittata starts to brown on top. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Once cooled turn baking dish upside down to release frittata.

Enjoy!

What’s your favorite breakfast dish? Are you a sweet or savory morning eater?

Filed Under: breakfast, gluten-free meals Tagged With: , , , ,
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