Today I’m sharing my recipe for Cowboy Stew, sometimes called Calico Beans or Cowboy Casserole. My extended family makes the Cowboy Stew from the church cookbook for most holiday gatherings, but since that one contains bacon and beef I’ve gradually created my own vegan adaptation that has taken on an identity of its own. These…
Category: Side Dishes
Cardamom Citrus Salad
A few weeks ago my husband’s aunt and uncle were hosting a casual family dinner while my husband’s grandmother was in town to visit. They had all of the bases covered from salad, to sides, to beverages, to dessert, but we simply couldn’t arrive empty handed! Part of it might be that my husband and…
Spinach and Fruit Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette (accidentally vegan)
You guys, have you seen that huge glowing orb in the sky?!? I forget what it’s called, but it’s, like, warm, and bright? It’s the weirdest thing, we saw it last week while we were on vacation, too. It’s like it’s following us… Oh right, the SUN! It had been so long since I’d encountered…
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
It’s a cold one here in Minneapolis, which makes it the perfect time for comfort food!! I’m a huge fan of macaroni and cheese, but as much as I hate to admit it, to me the ideal texture is closer to Velveeta Shells and Cheese than the typical dried-out baked version. I’m firmly a stovetop…
Vegetarian Mexican Salad (or Cowboy Caviar Dip)
I’ve mentioned before that we moved into a new house last summer. Overall, I love everything inch of the new place – the location, the size, the interior, the exterior. I do, however, have one major complaint, and that is the lack of a sunny spot for a proper vegetable garden!Over the years I’ve grown…
Breakfast Enchiladas
While trying to figure out what kind of brunch masterpiece I was going to impress everyone with, I decided that I should probably serve some real food, too. Since I was going to have my hands full with setup and baking, I went in search of a nice breakfast casserole that could be prepped ahead…
Vegetarian Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
After my grandpa passed away we stopped doing a big extended family Thanksgiving, so my mum started doing a smaller scale dinner with just our nuclear family. This meant an abbreviated menu, but one of the items that made the cut was this cheesy hash brown casserole. Originally this recipe wasn’t vegetarian, but it only…
Quick and Easy Cranberry Sauce
Every year, I put home made jellied cranberry sauce into an elaborate mold for our friends thanksgiving, and every year, it never sets up as well as I would like. I’ve tried apples, pectin, and vegan gelatin, and each time, my mold disintegrates into a shapeless blob on the tray. Sure, it is always flavorful…
Famous Minnesota Grape Salad
You may remember that a few weeks ago, the internet was abuzz over a New York Times piece called The United States of Thanksgiving that assigned a Thanksgiving staple dish to each state in the Union. The author said that they “scoured the nation for recipes that evoke each of the 50 states”, so most…
Basic Corn Bread
OK, is it just me, or is a good chili just not complete without a good cornbread at its side?? The other night our pressure cooker chili was just about done when we realized we had neglected to make corn bread. Sure, the chili was hearty enough to be a meal in itself, but what…
Broccoli-Cheese Soup
Have I waited long enough between posts expressing my love for all things cruciferous? No? Well, I’ll apologize in advance, because I’m ready to talk broccoli again! We often buy the gigantic 3lb bag of broccoli florets from Costco, and then munch on it for two weeks or so while using it in various ways…
Zucchini-Cucumber Salad
First things first: I’m back, I’ve missed you all terribly, and I can’t wait to get back to cooking! Secondly, why didn’t anyone remind me how much work it is to move house? Seriously. We’ve been working nonstop to settle into the new house while simultaneously getting the old house ready to sell, and it…
Avocado-Strawberry-Quinoa Salad
My goal for Mother’s Day dinner was to create a menu that was healthy, nutrient-dense, and suuuuuuper flavorful. We’d already decided on grilled marinated chicken (faux chicken for me) as the protein, and a chia pudding for the dessert, but needed something to round out the meal. My original plan was to serve a small…
Homemade Salad Toppings – Croutons and Vegan Bacon Bits
Spring has sprung! (Well, here in Minneapolis we woke up to more snow, but the calendar says it’s spring! Work with me here.) Birds are chirping! Farmer’s market season is soon upon us! This time of year I find myself looking forward to the beautiful local produce, wonderful salads, and vegetable-centered meals that come with…
Foolproof Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Ok, I promise this is my last roasted vegetable post for awhile, but I just had to get this recipe out there for you guys! For awhile I was on a huge Roasted Broccoli kick, and was eating that a couple times a week, but lately Brussels sprouts (or “alien heads” as we called them…