It’s time for my annual fall cocktail … well, in this case: MOCK-TAIL! I was lucky enough to partner with the fine folks at Grüvi, a small family business that has made it their mission to create delicious alcohol-free options, to create a couple of fun mock-tail recipes using their new non-alcoholic bubbly rosé! The one I am sharing here is my Blood Orange and Sage Grüvi Rosé! It will definitely give you all the fall feels and NO hangover! Win win.
Ok I am going to be honest, this recipe is my version of an Olive Garden soup that I have loved since high school, yes you heard me, OLIVE GARDEN. Their version has fewer veggies in it but otherwise it is almost the same. The soup I am referring to is their Zuppa Toscana. A hearty soup with kale, sausage, and potatoes. It is SO SO SO good. My husband, whom I have noted is not a soup person in the past, is obsessed with this one. It really is a must-try, and if you can’t do dairy or don’t like it you can sub in a plant based milk OR just omit it all together and go for a brothier version. It is good any way you dice it… or stir it?
I am throwing this recipe up without photos for now just in case someone wants an easier recipe for really good mashed potatoes in time for Thanksgiving!
You will need:
About 10 or so medium sized Yukon gold potatoes- peel still on (the thin skin will break up easily when cooked and add a great texture- I do NOT recommend russet in this recipe)
3 cloves of garlic
1 stick of butter (plus more if needed)
1- 8 oz brick of cream cheese
1/2 cup half and half (you can also use whole milk, I just had half and half on hand)
1/3 cup fresh chopped chives
Salt & Pepper to taste
Place potatoes and garlic in a large stock pot. Fill with water until the potatoes are completely covered. Bring pot to a boil and let cook until a knife easily comes out when inserted.
Once your potatoes are cooked, pour the water out and leave potatoes in their hot pot. If a little water remains thats not a problem. Most of it will evaporate in time. Place your pot back on the burner with the heat turned off. This is when you get out a really high tech and expensive utensil: the hand masher.
Throw in your butter, cream cheese, and milk and put the lid back on. Let the heat of the potatoes melt the butter and cream cheese slightly, maybe a minute or two. Remove the lid and being careful not to burn yourself begin to mash.
As you mash, add salt and pepper to taste. You will need a good amount of salt. If the mixture needs some loosening- add more butter or a splash of milk. Taste and add your chives. Stir to incorporate and serve!
**If making ahead of time you can throw in a warm oven or crock pot. I always add a few tabs of butter to the top to mix in at the end in case it dries out a bit.
I call this comfort food with a bit of a healthy twist (aka a great way to get them veggies in). This is my favorite way to eat a spaghetti squash and I think it will be one of yours as well! Super flavorful and extremely satisfying this one graces our table quite a bit in the fall/winter months. The longer the sauce simmers, the better it is so I am placing it first in line for the recipe, that way it can simmer while you bake off your squash. Truth be told though- any and all of these steps can be made DAY AHEAD and in any order which is always a plus in my book. Just combine them and bake them in the end!
This set up looks sort of fancy huh? Well, it TASTES and LOOKS fancy but it’s SO easy to make. This one is always a hit. Sometimes I serve just one dip with the crackers, sometimes I make the yogurt and buy the hummus, and sometimes I serve both homemade… Make it as easy or as complicated as your day will allow haha. *TIP: Even if I buy one of the dips, I always try do the swirl with olive oil, nuts, and seeds because it’s so easy and so beautiful.
Today is the first official day of fall! And THAT means it’s the first official day that I don’t have to feel like as much of a freak for wanting to eat soup for every meal. So, in celebration, I am posting this recipe. I have actually been holding off on posting this one for YEARS because I was being greedy and trying to keep a few recipes secret, but let’s be honest, that is just not my personality. So here it is: by far one of my most requested recipes from anyone who has had it and the ONLY soup Josh will ask for (not a ‘soup guy’… married to the most ‘soup girl’ of all time, go figure). It’s pretty simple and the most comforting thing I can think of.
I am someone in the camp that considers sweet potatoes, “just fine”… I never crave them nor are they on the top of my list to order at a restaurant. SO, for me to say that these are DAMN good, is saying something. These I crave. These I might actually order at a restaurant. The best thing about them is that they are so easy they fit perfectly in a regular weeknight dinner lineup but taste so good that they would definitely impress guests. You can totally make them with regular potatoes too (I would suggest a gold variety or red skin) if that’s more your jam. It’s usually mine!
THIS DISH. Man is it delicious. There are a few steps: roasting the beets, making the dressing, and crisping your chickpeas (an optional step). But I promise it will be worth it. You can also roast the beets and make the dressing the day before if that helps with work-load. And if you are still over it, here are some pretty pictures of beets all dressed up.
Easy, healthy, and delicious. These little guys are great on salads, in grain bowls, or just as a snack on their own! I made these originally to go on top of my BEETS & BURRATA WITH SMASHED PISTACHIO VINAIGRETTE & CRISPY CHICKPEAS but the sky is really the limit with them. I think they are best the day you make them but you can still enjoy them days after.
I never really saw the hype with this kind of thing… maybe because I’m a salty > sweet person BUT when I watched my kid mow a couple down in a split second at our favorite coffee shop, I decided to give them a try. I tailored them to our liking/pantry (and made them a tad more cost-effective than some other recipes I’ve found) and they turned out so good that I decided to post ‘em. They’re packed with protein, gluten free, quite low in sugar, and I snuck flax and chia seeds in there too … best of all: THEY TASTE LIKE A COOKIE.