Spinach Persimmon Salad with Chickpea Miso Dressing

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I am such a lucky guy, because
my neighbor gave me a nice bag of Fuyu persimmons! And I picked up a
container of chickpea miso, all in the same week. I saw this as a cosmic
directive to whip up this Spinach Persimmon Salad; a Japanese-inspired salad
that will blend well with the traditional holiday table. Unlike their
counterpart, the Hachiya persimmon, the Fuyu can be enjoyed in various stages
of ripeness, making them a great addition to your holiday salad! You can
easily tell them apart because Fuyus are shaped more like a tomato, while
Hachiya persimmons are acorn–shaped. If you try to eat a Hachiya before it
gets completely soft, you will be left with a mouthful of astringent icky.
This recipe uses firm, crunchy-yet ripe Fuyu persimmons as the star
ingredient. Read More

Linguine with Cashew Cheese Sauce, Sage, Butternut Squash & Peas

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This month my kid got married,
and we got our first real feeling of autumn outside. My
son’s wedding plays a part in today’s post. I decided to prepare the food for
the wedding, and give it a personalized touch for the special occasion. The
bride and groom wanted a vegan menu, with vegan macaroni and cheese being
their favorite. The cashew cheese sauce for the mac and cheese came out so
yummy I have been thinking about it all week.

Then, it dawned on me that this sauce with a couple modifications
could make a great autumn pasta with butternut squash, sage and peas. And,
that’s how my first post of autumn came about! This sauce is easy to make,
packed with plant based protein and healthy fats. The crispy sage garnish
makes a nice garnish and crunchy finish to this comforting, cool weather
dish.

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Green Beans with Lemon, Tarragon & Chia Seeds

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This green beans with lemon
recipe is another one of those super simple, “too tasty and easy to be
true” dishes for an easy lunch or dinner side dish. Sometimes
demonstrating that you can grab one vegetable from your garden or the Farmers
Market, and easily turn it into a fairly complete meal or tide-over, is the
best way I can use my blog space! The chia seeds provide extra complete
protein and healthy fats to this, making it a decent light meal. And you can
always add more chia seeds to suit your own nutritional preference and taste.
So enjoy this one and let me know in the comments all the different ways you
did! I used some rattlesnake
beans from my garden for this recipe.

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Stuffed Ronde De Nice Squash with Tuscan Kale & Cannellini Bean Salad

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Each year I like to try a
different kind of squash in the food garden. And I am extremely pleased that
ronde de nice squash made its way onto my list this year! It has the
consistency of a summer squash like zucchini, yet it is hearty, with a soft
center and tender seeds that can be eaten, similar to a winter squash. And
it’s spherical shape lends itself to awesome stuffing potential! So it’s
extremely versatile. This healthy vegan recipe for stuffed ronde de nice
squash is a great summertime meal, as a warm-ish dinner entree or cold salad,
or even at brunch. Read More

Chia Infused Zucchini Black Bean Burgers

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Whenever I encourage my clients
to eat more plant based foods, the most popular response is, “but what
about the protein?” That’s where awesomely magical ingredients like chia
seeds come in handy. Nature’s miraculous formula of essential fatty acids,
protein, and fiber give chia seeds the unique ability to act like a binder
similar to an egg, helping to hold these burgers together, while also provide
a complete protein, in addition to the protein found in the beans and the
zucchini. When a plant provides a complete protein, it means it delivers all
the essential amino acids that your body can’t produce and therefore need to
be consumed in meals. So, whip up a batch of these babies and take them on
your next summer picnic! Read More

Spaghetti with Calabrese Broccoli, Green Garlic & Nasturtium Blossoms

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We all know broccoli is good for
us. But one has to admit that the same “commercial” broccoli that
we are relentlessly exposed to can get a little tiring. That is why I always
get a little excited whenever I see less ubiquitous varieties of broccoli at
the market. The particular calabrese in this recipe was small and tender,
making it a great, quickly seared pasta stir fry. In retrospect, I wish I had
taken a photo of it at the market, but the finished dish gives you a good
sense of the anatomy of this broccoli. The green garlic adds a spring
time garlic kick, and the nasturtium adds a slight peppery essence, for an
uncomplicated, light springtime meal. By the way, if you are wondering where
to find nasturtiums, they grow like crazy everywhere, so just tap into your
“inner hunter-gatherer” and you should be okay. You might even have
some growing in your own yard! Read More

Vegan Hazelnut Pesto with Mango & Avocado Slices

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Basil, basil, and more basil!
When a basil plant decides to take hold it really pumps it out. So, I
schedule a few minutes each day to go out and cut the flowering basil tops,
to keep the plant going all summer long. Which winds me up with a lot of
extra basil hanging around the kitchen. Here is a great
sweet-meets-savory idea for a lazy afternoon salad, with vegan hazelnut pesto
as the star of the show. You can also do a non vegan version of this by using
parmesan or another hard aged cheese in place of the nutritional yeast.
Enjoy! Read More

Riced Cauliflower with Porcini Mushrooms, Fennel & Peas

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I know you are probably thinking
that I post too many things with mushrooms, and you are right! But when I
glanced at my bag of dried porcini mushrooms the other day, I couldn’t help
thinking how great they would be as a rich, flavorful foundation for riced
cauliflower! This recipe for riced cauliflower with porcini mushrooms, fennel
& peas makes a nice springtime side dish or vegan entree. Porcini
mushrooms have a natural, rich, gamey flavor and the higher quality ones give
off a roux when cooked, that naturally adds some thickness to the dish.
Read More

Spaghetti Squash with Sage Almond Cream

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Baked spaghetti squash can be
pretty versatile. In this recipe, the squash strands are carefully scraped
out with a fork to make a spaghetti-like dish with a delicious plant-based
creamy sage sauce. It’s kind of like pasta Alfredo, but healthier!

1 cup raw almonds, soaked for at least 2 hours
1 ¼ cups almond milk
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
¼ tsp. cumin
1 clove garlic
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. lemon juice
6 leaves of sage (or more if  you love sage)
1 spaghetti squash

Be sure to soak your almonds in advance. You can even soak them
overnight if you’d like to.

To roast the squash, preheat oven to 425 F. Using a small paring
knife, gently and firmly poke holes all around the squash, about 10-12 holes
per quarter squash, so that all the squash is covered with little holes.
Place in an oven-proof baking dish and roast in the oven for 45-60 minutes
until it is soft to the touch. Remove and let cool for about 30
minutes.

While the squash is roasting, make your cream sauce. Drain the
almonds and rinse, In a high speed blender  like a Vitamix, combine the
almonds, almond milk, nutritional yeast, cumin, garlic, salt &
pepper, and lemon juice.

Blend until it is smooth and all the grains of almond are gone- it
will resemble alfredo sauce. You may need to stop a couple times to scrape
the sides of the blender and make sure everything is blending
in.

Once it’s smooth, add the sage and pulse the sage in just until
it’s pureed into the mix. Don’t over-blend the sage as it tends to lose it’s
flavor if you blend it too much.

To put everything together, cut the squash in half lengthwise, and
gently remove the seeds with a spoon. Then, using a fork, gently scrape out
the strands of squash. They will come out looking like
spaghetti.

Mix the sauce into the spaghetti squash to the desired sauciness.
You may have some sauce leftover. It makes a great sauce for other stuff like
serving over steamed broccoli, or as a sauce over chicken breast or
turkey.

Garnish with your favorite vegan or traditional parmesan cheese,
and extra leaves of sage.

Spaghetti Squash with Sage Almond Cream

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 1 hour 1 minute
Servings 4 servings
Calories 484 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup raw almonds soaked for at least 2 hours
  • 1 1/4 cups almond milk
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 tsp. cumin
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 6 leaves sage or more if you love sage
  • 1 medium spaghetti squash

Instructions
 

  • Be sure to soak your almonds in advance. You can even soak them overnight if you’d like to.
  • To roast the squash, preheat oven to 425 F. Using a small paring knife, gently and firmly poke holes all around the squash, about 10-12 holes per quarter squash, so that all the squash is covered with little holes. Place in an oven-proof baking dish and roast in the oven for 45-60 minutes until it is soft to the touch. Remove and let cool for about 30 minutes.
  • While the squash is roasting, make your cream sauce. Drain the almonds and rinse, In a high speed blender like a Vitamix, combine the almonds, almond milk, nutritional yeast, cumin, garlic, salt & pepper, and lemon juice.
  • Blend until it is smooth and all the grains of almond are gone- it will resemble alfredo sauce. You may need to stop a couple times to scrape the sides of the blender and make sure everything is blending in.
  • Once it’s smooth, add the sage and pulse the sage in just until it’s pureed into the mix. Don’t over-blend the sage as it tends to lose it’s flavor if you blend it too much.
  • To put everything together, cut the squash in half lengthwise, and gently remove the seeds with a spoon. Then, using a fork, gently scrape out the strands of squash. They will come out looking like spaghetti.
  • Mix the sauce into the spaghetti squash to the desired sauciness. You may have some sauce leftover. It makes a great sauce for other stuff like serving over steamed broccoli, or as a sauce over chicken breast or turkey.
  • Garnish with your favorite vegan or traditional parmesan cheese, and extra leaves of sage.

Notes

 
Nutrition Facts
Spaghetti Squash with Sage Almond Cream
Amount per Serving
Calories
484
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
38
g
58
%
Saturated Fat
 
4
g
25
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
10
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
23
g
Sodium
 
766
mg
33
%
Potassium
 
681
mg
19
%
Carbohydrates
 
31
g
10
%
Fiber
 
11
g
46
%
Sugar
 
9
g
10
%
Protein
 
16
g
32
%
Vitamin A
 
600
IU
12
%
Vitamin C
 
14
mg
17
%
Calcium
 
250
mg
25
%
Iron
 
4
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 484kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 16gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 23gSodium: 766mgPotassium: 681mgFiber: 11gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 600IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 250mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!