Stuffed Acorn Squash with Creamy Gravy! Vegan, Oil-Fat-Gluten FREE!

So, I bought 2 acorn squash to decorate my Thanksgiving table and they’ve been sitting on my kitchen counter ever since. I finally decided to cut those bad boys open and do something with them. What a favorable result!!! If you are pressed for time, this isn’t the best dish to make, unless you omit the gravy….then it’s not bad. The gravy on it’s own isn’t time consuming or difficult, but if you stick it in with the other steps for the squash, it adds up.

*If you’ve ever cut a raw acorn squash before, you know how difficult it can be. To make this process easier, next time I will roast the squash whole first, for maybe 10 minutes, then cut it in half, and finish cooking. Not sure if 10 minutes is the magic number but the squash would have to be softer than when they went in! Give it a try. Without this step, the squash takes about 35 minutes to cook. I prefer scooping out the seeds and stringy stuff after its cooked – it comes out much easier that way.

Creamy Gravy

This savory, creamy gravy is delicious on anything from mashed potatoes, to stuffed squash, to tofu scramble. Since it’s so low in fat, it doesn’t have to be a once in a while treat.

Use brown rice flour to make this gluten-free.

Winter Spice Cookies

These cookies have the flavor of a gingersnap, and the texture similar to a molasses chew. Usually I make things a few times after I create them before posting the recipe but not this time. I’m just that eager to share.

I’ve been asked several times lately if whole wheat flour can be used in place of oat flour in my recipes similar to this one. My answer is yes, however I’d use whole wheat pastry flour since it’s finer than regular whole wheat, which may be too coarse. Using all whole wheat in this recipe, as opposed to half oat and half wheat, would probably result in a less dense cookie, which may or may not be your thing. Personally, I’m all about dense. As I’ve mentioned before, light and airy makes me feel like I ate just that – AIR! The reason I use oat flour in so many recipes is not because I have anything against wheat. I don’t. It’s just that wheat is everywhere, in so many forms. I just like to sub other types of flour, and stay away from wheat when easily doable so that I’m eating more variety, and not so much wheat. As well, many people eat gluten-free diets so I try to incorporate as many suitable recipes as I can into my repertoire.

One more thing. The batter for these babies is SO good. I may or may not have eaten an entire cookie’s worth of batter. 🙂

“HAPPY HERBIVORE ABROAD” – Interview with the author Lindsay S. Nixon!!

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Shelly Detken

Linsday Nixon is known as the Happy Herbivore, and has written wonderful and successful low-fat, plant-based cookbooks such as Happy Herbivore, Everyday Happy Herbivore and her brand new book Happy Herbivore Abroad. This girl LOVES travel and has been practically everywhere! While in far away lands, she still manages to eat and cook strictly plant-based, low-fat meals. Her newest book is so awesome. The recipes combine traditional comfort foods from home with international inspiration and stories of her adventures.

As part of a fun book promotion, she’s giving away 31 copies of Happy Herbivore Abroad, 31 days of December. Exciting!! I will be choosing a winner on 12/12/12, at 12:12 PST. All you have to do is LIKE this post between now and then, or if you don’t have Facebook, Subscribe to Blog Updates on this blog .

I was lucky enough to take some of Lindsay’s valuable time and gets answers to a few questions I was curious to know:

Q. How long did it take you to compile the recipes for HHA?

A. I spend about three to four months writing recipes, but then it takes several more months to turn them into an actual book. The whole process is about a year.

Q. Is the book a collection of just your own creations while living abroad, or does it include dishes you ate in restaurants while abroad, that you adapted?

A. My second cookbook, Everyday Happy Herbivore, is a collection of recipes I created while living abroad. This book, Happy Herbivore Abroad, is all international dishes — meals and treats from around the world. Some are classic dishes (like Puttanesca or Penne alla Vodka, or Swedish Meatballs!) that I’ve recreated in a healthy, plant-based way. Others are dishes I ate somewhere while traveling (or saw, but did not eat because it wasn’t plant-based), but then came home and figured out how to make myself. You really get to taste the food of the world with this book!

Q. How many recipes does the new book include?

A. I’m unsure of the exact number- – but over 125.

Q. If you could move permanently to a place you visited, where would it be?

A. My work keeps me from rooting down anywhere for too long, but we are planning to go back to Germany for an extended stay, and the South of France this summer as well. We’ll probably stay in both places for a few months. When I retire in a few years, I plan to live abroad.

Q. What foreign land was the most difficult to eat low-fat, plant-based?

A. I think they were all pretty easy, some easier than others, but I didn’t find any one place particularly difficult.

Q. What foreign destination was the easiest to eat low-fat, plant-based?

A. Italy was very surprising. Traditional Italian foods lend well to being plant-based, but I assumed everything would be drenched in olive oil. To my surprise, most food is prepared with little to no oil. Oil is on the table (sort of how like salt is on the table in America), and Italians drizzle a little on their food before eating. It made eating low-fat and plant-based a breeze. Italy also has a lot of beautiful fresh produce and produce markets — same with Spain and Croatia, which made eating colorful!

Q. If you could give one tip to travelers determined to stick to their healthy ways of eating, what would it be?

A. Have patience.

Q. Do you have an idea for another cookbook?

A. I’m scheduled to write three more cookbooks (one a year) and am working on my 4th book now 🙂

If you haven’t already, BUY THIS BOOK!!!! Or, maybe you’ll be the lucky winner on 12/12/12 at 12:12 PST! Don’t forget to LIKE or Subscribe! Thanks!

Butternut Squash and Bean Stew!

The butternut squash I bought 2 weeks earlier was calling out to me, I could hear it (not really, but just work with me here). “How long are you going to let me sit here on the counter before I rot?” Okay! Okay! I’ll cook you! But then what should I do with you? Well, after I roasted it, I got the idea to cut into bite-sized pieces and make a stew. The squash and I were glad I did!

They do sell pre-cut squash which would save some time. Just sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast on parchment covered cookie sheet at 400 for 30 minutes . I think the roasted flavor adds to the stew, but you could just can add the squash to the pot and cook that way.

Breakfast Quinoa

Quinoa. Not my favorite grain, but I’ve included it in my diet for several years now as I know it’s super healthy. It’s packed with protein (a complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids), fiber (twice as much as most other grains), vitamins and minerals, and it’s gluten-free. I knew it could be eaten as a hot breakfast cereal, and on this cold, drizzly morning I decided to give it a try. Generally, I have my smoothie which has mixed frozen berries, banana, kale, spinach, flax seeds, etc., but just wasn’t feelin’ it today. I’m so glad I mixed up my routine. This hot cereal is so good! Experiment with different fruits and maybe add a sprinkling of chopped walnuts or ground flax seeds.

Potato Chowder

Whenever I serve this thick and creamy potato chowder to guests (non plant-based), they can’t believe it doesn’t contain dairy or cheese. For an even lower-fat version, leave out the cashews. The result will still be delicious.

Basil Hummus Recipe! Vegan, Oil-Free, Gluten-Free

A delicious spin on basic hummus. Make sure to use fresh basil! Dry just won’t give you the same, wonderful flavor. Hummus is so easy to make – there’s really no need to ever buy pre-made, especially considering how much fat is in most store-bought varieties.

Whole Grain Bread! Bread Maker Recipe

Several years ago, I asked hubby for a bread maker. My big plan was to make lots of fresh-baked loaves of bread and never have to buy another loaf again. Ah, to be young with such lofty goals. I baked one loaf, it wasn’t great, and the unit was stored in the garage for several years. My older, and much wiser self decided to dust that bad boy off and give the whole bread-making thing another shot. SO glad I did! My amazingly wonderful friend Donna makes bread all the time and is always telling me how fun and easy it is – and how great it makes the house smell. She was so right!

I did some research and played around a bit with ingredients and ultimately came up with this whole grain treat. If you don’t have a bread maker, ask Santa or whomever to bring you one. You literally dump the ingredients in the metal “bowl”, and walk away. Definitely the lazy man’s way to make bread (though not as lazy as buying a loaf at the store!).

Savory Pumpkin Soup Recipe! Heavy on the Rich Flavor, Not the Fat!

I had never made pumpkin soup before. Shocking, I know, considering what a pumpkin freak I am. Well, I gave it a go recently. As per normal, I was determined to listen to my culinary instincts rather than follow a recipe…not sure if that’s big ego or just a can-do attitude talking :). Either way, my instincts paid off, big time!!! This soup rivaled any pumpkin soup I’d ever had, including the non-vegan, really fattening varieties I’d had in years past. Try it! As you know, I don’t cook with oil as a rule, but the small amount of truffle oil stirred in just prior to serving MAKES this soup, in my opinion.

Plantiful Wellness

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