Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I've got a serious thing for these bad boys. They're so delish. I know so because this recipe converted some sprouts haters into sprouts lovers.

1 bag Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

Preheat your oven to 375° F.

Rinse your Brussels sprouts and then cut them in half and take off the outer leaf if it has any blemishes. Place them in a bowl and drizzle your olive oil and maple syrup over top. Sprinkle with a hefty pinch of salt. Spray a glass baking dish with some non stick spray (I use a coconut non stick) then pour your Brussels in, making sure they're in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip, and bake for another 20-30 minutes. You want them to be tender- they're best when the smaller ones get all nice and crispy! Serve hot and enjoy!

*If you set your oven to the convection setting you can cut back the overall time- start with 10 minutes, flip, then cook for another 15-20.

Roasted Sweet Potato Mash

There is such a difference in flavor when you roast a sweet potato whole vs. cutting it up and roasting it. I can't explain it, both are great, but they're so different. For this mash I roasted the sweet potato in cubes, which both lends to a different flavor and saves cooking time. It's a simple mash that isn't very sweet, like most other sweet potato mashes. Give it a go, I served this with some maple roasted Brussels sprouts, what a good combo!

2 medium sweet potatoes
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4+ cup coconut milk from carton, not can (found in the aisle with the almond milks)
1 tablespoon plant-based butter
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves only

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Peel your sweet potatoes, then cut them into 1 inch by 1/2 inch cubes. Spray a cookie sheet with some non-stick spray (I use a coconut oil non stick). Place your sweet potatoes cubes on the cookie sheet, sprinkle with the red pepper flakes and salt and then lightly mist with more non-stick spray. Bake in the oven until they are soft enough to be flattened by a fork, about 20-30 minutes.

Transfer sweet potatoes to a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Process until completely smooth. You may need a little more coconut milk to get your desired consistency. Serve warm. You can even add a pinch of cinnamon over top before serving if you're feeling really festive!

Easy Cheezy Smoked Gouda

Some plant-based cheeses take forever to set, others take forever to ferment, but this bad boy of a cheese is whipped up and ready to serve in just under an hour!

So this cheese has the texture of a mozzarella almost. And it tastes like smoked ham. This was a love or hate type of cheese when I served it, just a heads up.

1/2 cup raw almonds, soaked for 15 minutes
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for 15 minutes
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon raw agave nectar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 cup water
5 tablespoons agar flakes or 1 1/2 tablespoons agar powder*

Add all ingredients into the blender except the cup of water and agar and blend until smooth. A Vitamix is highly recommended because you want the mixture to be completely grit-free. If you don't have a Vitamix just be patient and stop often to scrape down the sides. Once the mixture is grit-free start making your agar mixture. Bring the cup of water to a low boil in a small pot on the stove top. Add in the agar and whisk until it is completely dissolved, this may take a minute or two. Once the agar is completely dissolved drizzle it into the blender and blend until everything is well incorporated. You must act quick because once the agar starts to cool it will set. Pour the mixture into a small dish or a ring mold and place in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes to allow to set. If you poured your mixture into a dish you may need to skim a butter knife around the edge of the dish and the cheese should just pop right out. Dust with some smoked paprika and serve!

*Agar is a gel derived from red algae and has a similar consistency as gelatin once it sets. It is a very popular ingredient in Asian desserts. You can pick up the flakes at Whole Foods in the aisle where they sell dried seaweed snacks and kelp powders.

Recipe adapted from nouveauraw

Fall Lettuce Boats with Crispy Sweet Potato Noodles

If we're being honest this was inspired by the stragglers of this weeks organic co-op box. What could I possibly do with a cucumber, yellow tomato, 1/2 a head of lettuce, two small winter squash that I've never seen before, and 2 sweet potatoes? Make lettuce boats, that's what.

1 small cucumber
1 tomato
6 large leaves of lettuce/cabbage of your choice 
2 very small winter squash that I've never seen before (you can use 1 medium sized butternut squash)
2 sweet potatoes, peeled
Plant-Based mayo
1/2 teaspoon Smoked paprika
Cinnamon
Pumpkin Pie spice
Cumin
3 tablespoons maple Syrup
2 tablespoons plant-based butter
Salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Peel your winter squash using a vegetable peeler, then cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Dice into 1-inch cubes. Toss with maple syrup, a few dashes of cinnamon (about 1/2 a teaspoon or so), and a pinch of salt. Pour into a greased baking sheet and top it with the plant-based butter, bake until fork-tender, roughly 25-40 minutes depending on how ripe your squash is to begin with.

Using a spiralizer turn your sweet potatoes into noodles. Like so...

The noodles will shrink by 1/2

In a large bowl toss your sweet potato noodles with olive oil, a few dashes of pumpkin pie spice, a few dashes of ground cumin, and the smoked paprika. Spread the sweet potatoes out on a greased cookie sheet and pop in the oven and cook until crispy, 25-35 minutes.

Meanwhile, dice your cucumber and tomato. Spread a little mayo over each lettuce leaf, then evenly disperse the cucumber and tomato pieces. Once the squash is fork-tender divide the pieces evenly among the lettuce boats. Top with the crispy sweet potato noodles, another pinch of salt, and serve!