Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

3 large sweet potatoes cut into chunks

1/4 cup vegan butter, melted

1/2 cup almond milk

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2/3 cup almond flour

1/2 cup vegan butter, melted

1/4 cup maple syrup

Mini marshmallows

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, 10 to 20 minutes

Drain and return to the pot

Combine melted vegan butter, almond milk, maple syrup, orange juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Pour into pot and mix well

Pour potato mixture into the prepared casserole dish

Combine pecans, brown sugar, flour, melted vegan butter, and maple syrup in a bowl and sprinkle over casserole

Bake in the preheated oven until hot, about 30 minutes

Remove from oven and top with marshmallows

Bake for another 15 minutes

Hawaiian Sandwiches

Hawaiian Sandwiches

Makes 2 Sandwiches

 

4 slices toasted white bread, or 2 toasted sandwich rolls

Sliced Pineapple

Sliced Ham

Brown Sugar, optional

Sliced Cheddar Cheese

Honey Mustard

 

Toast bread or sandwich rolls, add honey mustard

In a small skillet, fry pineapple, remove and set aside

Add ham slices to skillet and sprinkle with a bit of brown sugar

Place cheese slice on top of ham and allow it to melt

Stack ham, cheese and pineapple on bread or rolls

Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

Makes 3

1/2 cup cooked, shredded chicken

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup onion, diced

2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup ranch dressing

2 tablespoons buffalo sauce

1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning

1 cup shredded cheese Blend

6 (6 inch) tortillas

 

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat

Cook onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes

Combine cream cheese, ranch dressing, buffalo sauce and cooked onions in a bowl

Mix until creamy

Add cooked chicken and season with taco seasoning

Spread spoonful of buffalo chicken mixture onto tortilla

Top with cheese blend

Cover with second tortilla and set aside

Repeat with remaining tortillas

Heat skillet over medium eat

Add 1 quesadilla and cook until browned on 1 side, about 3 minutes

Carefully flip and cook until tortilla is crisp and cheese is melted, about 3 more minutes

Repeat with remaining quesadillas

 

Serve with sour cream and salsa

Candy Crackers

Candy Crackers

 

40 saltine crackers (approx.)

1 cup salted butter, cubed

1 cup soft light brown sugar (packed)

2 cups chocolate chips

1/2 – 1 cup M&M’s (or chopped nuts or sliced almonds)

 

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees

Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper

Line the pan with saltine crackers

Place the butter and sugar in a medium sized pot over low medium-low heat

Stir until the butter is melted

Once the butter has melted, bring to a boil for 3 minutes

Stir constantly

Once it’s nice and bubbly and changed to more of a caramel color, remove pan from heat and pour evenly over saltine crackers

Spread mixture with a knife or spatula

Try to move fast during this part so the toffee doesn’t harden

Place pan in the oven and bake for 7-9 minutes

The mixture will spread evenly over the crackers as it bakes

While that bakes I melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 30-45 seconds

Remove pan from oven and pour chocolate chips on top, spread with a spatula

Sprinkle M&M’s (or nuts) on top and then place in the freezer for 15 minutes

Once chocolate has hardened break pieces off the foil and store in an airtight container

 

Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera

Serves 4

1 cup carrots, julienned

1 cup zucchini, chopped

1 cup squash, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup sun dried tomatoes, cut in slices

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 pound pasta

1/2 cup Parmesan and Romano cheese shredded

 

Boil pasta according to al dente directions reserving 1/2 cup pasta water

While the pasta is boiling, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat

Sautee carrots for 3 minutes

Add zucchini, squash, and onion to carrots

Sautee for 3 minutes

Add tomatoes and garlic to skillet

Sauté for 1 minute more

Stir in cooked pasta

Add lemon juice

Stir in small amounts of pasta water until mixture moves freely and is not stuck together

Toss with cheese and serve

Cranberry Brie Bites

Cranberry Brie Bites

Makes 24 Bites

 

1 (8-oz.) tube crescent dough

Flour, for surface

1 (8-oz.) wheel of brie

1/2 c. whole berry cranberry sauce

1/4 c. chopped pecans, optional

6 sprigs of rosemary cut into 1″ pieces, optional

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray

On a lightly floured surface, roll out crescent dough, and pinch together seams

Cut into 24 squares

Place squares into muffin tin slots

Cut brie into small pieces and place inside the crescent dough

Top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce

Add some chopped pecans, and one little sprig of rosemary

Bake until the crescent pastry is golden, about 15 minutes

 

* When I made these I was using up leftover cranberry sauce and crescents from our dinner the night before.  I didn’t have any pecans or rosemary so I just made them without.  They still tasted great!

Teriyaki Chicken Pineapple Boats

Teriyaki Chicken Pineapple Boats

Makes 2

Rice

1 cup pineapple chunks with juice

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup rice

 

Chicken

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup honey

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into chunks

2 teaspoons olive oil

 

Cut pineapple in half lengthwise including the leaves in the cut

Scoop out the insides leaving 1/2 – 3/4 inch thickness along the outside edges

Chop the pineapple very fine

Add 1 cup of pineapple and juice into a sauce pan

Add 1 cup water, salt, butter and sugar to sauce pan

Bring to a boil over medium high heat

Add rice and simmer on low until rice is fully cooked

You may need to add more water a little at a time to get the correct doneness

While the rice is cooking combine garlic, low sodium soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar and ginger in a small bowl

Add chopped chicken to sauce

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat

Add chicken to the pan reserving the teriyaki sauce

Brown chicken on all sides

After chicken is browned, add the teriyaki sauce

Cook until sauce is reduced and thickened

Sauce will coat the chicken as it thickens

Spoon pineapple rice in half of the hollowed out pineapple boat

Fill the other half with teriyaki chicken

Garnish with sesame seeds and rice noodles

We served ours with vegetables on the side

Enjoy!