OhYaGood

Whole Food Lover + Recipe Hacker

Sweet Potato Rounds

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Enjoying appetizers are kind of a joke for anyone not eating cheese or bread. Typically I make a crudité platter with some hummus when I need something quick. But if I take some time, I can do something delicious like deviled eggs or meatballs which is great, unless vegetarians are present too. So here’s a little something vegan that also takes a little effort but has a tremendous pay off.

This idea came to me after seeing fried sage show up on my instagram feed. I had tried making it last year but I knew I fried those tender little leaves too long so the flavor was more like burnt sage. I had to take another stab. I’ve been wanting to do something with sweet potato rounds too so obviously the two became a perfect pair. If you didn’t have to be dairy-free, you could certainly use Neufchâtel or even mascarpone as a substitute for the cashew cream.

Sweet Potato Rounds
 
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Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Serves: 24
Ingredients
  • 1-2 sweet potatoes or enough to make roughly 24, ¼" slices
  • ½ cup cashews
  • 1 cup water, ¼ reserved
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 24-30 sage leaves
  • ¼ cup oil for frying (I used avocado) and more for brushing rounds
  • sea salt
  • cracked peppercorn
Instructions
  1. To make the cashew cream from scratch, mix the cashews with ¾ cup room temperature or cool water and let soak for at least 2 hours or overnight
  2. After the cashews are softened, drain the water and rinse in a colander
  3. Add the cashews and ¼ cup water to a high speed blender or food processor and pulse until they start to cream
  4. Scrap sides as needed, this can take 3-5 minutes to get just right
  5. Preheat oven to 350° F
  6. Place slices of sweet potatoes on a oiled sheet pan
  7. Brush each round withe oil and bake for 15 minutes
  8. While they bake, heat oil at medium-high heat in a saucepan
  9. Fry about 4-5 sage leaves at a time for only 3 seconds
  10. Fish them out with a fork and cool them on a paper towel, top them with a few cracks of sea salt
  11. Assemble the rounds with a dollop of cashew cream and top with the sage
  12. Garnish with some fresh cracked peppercorn

 

 

Autumn Quinoa Salad

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My husband and I were just in NYC where the food was of course outstanding. I only “cheated” with one dinner indulging in some fantastic gluten and soy filled ramen at Ivan Ramen. It was heavenly but I certainly paid for it with an instant headache and all swollen the next day. Nothing a little hike on the Brooklyn bridge couldn’t fix.

One of my favorite meals was at a place called Tiny’s near our hotel in Tribeca. It was an egg dish with crispy quinoa served with greens and poached eggs. Similar to a hash. Definitely something I’ll have to try in the kitchen. For now though, I need to detox which means salads every damn day, including this little gem.

Autumn Quinoa Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • ½ cup roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash, 1-1½ inch cubes
  • 1 Tablespoon oil, I used avocado
  • 2 cups arugula
  • ½ cup quinoa
  • 4 slices of bacon, chopped
  • 10 dried figs, halved
  • 1/ 4 cup pumpkin seeds
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400° F
  2. Toss potatoes with oil and spread onto a baking sheet to roast for 40 minutes or slightly browned
  3. Meanwhile prepare quinoa and render bacon on the stove for 10 minutes
  4. Let potatoes and bacon cool for five minutes before tossing with arugula, figs and pumpkin seeds
  5. Dress with your favorite vinaigrette or make one with 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Tablespoon of your favorite vinegar, cracked pepper and salt to taste
  6. Best at room temperature

 

Roasted Roots

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roasted_roots_loYou say potato, I say rutabaga. I like rutabagas. I just tried cooking them for the first time this week and I'm a fan. It's reminds me of a turnip, except better flavor. I added them to my chicken vegetable soup earlier this week (YUM!), then I just roasted them with their sweeter cousin, the carrot. I think this recipe turned out great and it's very versatile. The addition of onions is key because they get this lovely charred flavor. The crudo at Burch Steakhouse here in Minneapolis is served with a charred onion reduction and it's been stuck in my brain ever since. This recipe could be a great side dish to bring to the holiday gatherings.
Roasted Roots
 
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Recipe type: Vegetable
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients
  • 1 large rutabaga, diced about 1-inch square
  • 5 medium-sized carrots, diced similar size to the rutabaga
  • ¼ red onion, roughly sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons oil (I used avocado)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°
  2. Toss vegetables in oil and herbs
  3. Roast for 45 minutes or until browned edges, stirring at the halfway point

Vegan Mushroom Gravy

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Vegan_GravyI had pretty much given up on gravy. My first attempt at making it was unappealing and after becoming lactose intolerant, potatoes were never the same so I gave it up. It was until recently I started to miss it. My husband and I had made a pre-Thanksgiving meal a few Sundays ago just for fun and I did all the fixings gluten and dairy free with ease, including the potatoes (I’ll post the recipe someday). I longed for a gravy to go with these heaping mashers so I did some digging for vegan gravy recipes. The few I found called for the fake butter that contain soy and lots of other things I can’t pronounce. So, I challenged myself to come up with my own creation. Five simple ingredients is all it took. The gravy goes great on any cut of meat, potatoes, squash, root mash, you name it. A perfect Thanksgiving addition.

Note the mashed sweet potatoes need to be made ahead or purchase the frozen variety from Trader Joes.

Vegan Mushroom Gravy
 
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Recipe type: Sauce
Cuisine: American
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • ½ T coconut oil
  • 3 cups sliced button mushrooms
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons of fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme or sage
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a large skillet
  2. Sauté the lightly salted mushrooms until softened on medium heat, about 8 minutes
  3. Add the broth, sweet potatoes and herbs
  4. Let simmer for about 10 minutes
  5. Transfer to a deep bowl and use an immersion blender to blend mushrooms and thicken the gravy
  6. Salt and pepper liberally

 

Sweet Potato Pie

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Sweet Potato PieI had never eaten sweet potato pie before tonight. Turns out it tastes pretty similar to pumpkin pie but a nice change. My thought was to try something healthier while still being dairy and gluten free. According to this Prevention Info Graphic, sweet potatoes ARE better for you. I believe everything on the internet so sweet potato pie forever.

This recipe was derived from a classic recipe I found on epicurious that I altered to be dairy-free. The pecan-coconut crust was taken from Self magazine.Top it off with some sea salt coconut whip cream for added goodness. While the recipe takes some time for freezing, it’s well worth the wait.

Sweet Potato Pie
 
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Recipe type: Pie
Cuisine: American
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
  • 3 lbs of medium red skinned sweet potatoes
  • 1 14 ounce can of coconut milk-full fat
  • ¼-1/2 sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven 350°
  2. Pierce holes into the sweet potatoes and place on a rimmed baking sheet
  3. Baked for 1 hour 15 minutes
  4. Cool slightly and remove the skins
  5. Puree the pulp in a processor and cool completely
  6. Mix together the sweet potatoes, coconut milk and remaining ingredients until smooth
  7. Pour filling into the prepared crust
  8. Bake the pie until the filling is puffed around the edges and the center is set, 45 min-an hour
  9. Transfer to a rack to cool and refrigerate for four hours
  10. Serve at room temperature

 

Brussels Sprouts with Grapes

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Brussels Sprouts with GrapesFood and the internet are such an amazing marriage. I remember even a few years ago it was hard finding dairy-free recipes or any kind of whole food recipe besides what I could dig up on the almighty epicurious. Look how far it’s come! Buzzfeed’s Tasty videos for one, are knocking it out of the park. Even the ones I have no desire to try, I become memorized by. I love it all.

You know what else the internet just taught me? It’s brusselS sprouts. I didn’t know brussel was plural. How have I gone this long without knowing that? I’ve worked in restaurants with brusselSSSS sprouts on their menu for god sakes. Ah thank you internet, for all you do.

This is side dish is so damn good. They are shredded and roasted to a slightly charred salty chip. The best. Let me add that I buy them shredded in a bag because why the heck wouldn’t you.

Brussels Sprouts with Grapes
 
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Recipe type: SIde Dish
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 10oz (or 1½ cups) Trader Joes shredded brussels bag
  • ½ Tablespoon oil
  • 1 cup sliced red grapes
  • ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
  • salt & pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Pour the oil into the bag of brussels and toss
  3. Arrange them onto a baking sheet large enough to spread them into one layer, salt and pepper them and put them in the oven
  4. After 15 minutes, add grapes and walnuts and stir
  5. Roast for another 5-10 minutes, or until brussels are slightly charred