Vegetarian Thanksgiving Sides

Thanksgiving is next week! I can hardly believe it, every year it seems to come around quicker and quicker. Here on the blog, I usually post a full menu of non-turkey day options as if I’m going to be cooking up the big holiday meal myself. In reality, Jack and I will be going to someone else’s house and I’ll likely bring the salad. So this year I thought I’d cut to the chase and post some of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes. Because let’s be real, the sides are really the star of the show anyway. pictured above: Vegan Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes Simple Lemon Green Beans / Kale & Shiitake…

TO THE POST >>>>

Pumpkin Pudding

This pumpkin pudding recipe is far easier than pie, but it's just as delicious! I love to serve it with toasted pecans for extra richness and crunch.

This pumpkin pudding is my grown-up version of the pumpkin pie I adored as a kid. Back then, my favorite thing about Thanksgiving was hands down the pumpkin pie. Or, more accurately, the pumpkin pie filling. My sister and I (being the picky eaters that we were) would scoop out the creamy pumpkin middle and leave the shells of our crusts behind. The adults would shake their heads. Sometimes I’d eat the crispy edge piece, but the soggy bottom crust? No thank you. Now that I’m an adult, I wouldn’t push my crust aside, but pumpkin pie’s creamy filling is…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Quinoa Salad Stuffed Acorn Squash

Quinoa Salad Stuffed Acorn Squash is a healthy vegetarian Thanksgiving main dish.

Ok, so if you really know your vegetables, you’ll notice that those guys in front are actually Jester Squash and not Acorn Squash. Technicalities aside, they work just as well for roasting and stuffing. Something I really love about my local Farmhouse Delivery is that vegetable varieties show up that even I – the girl that literally wrote a book about vegetables – have to occasionally Google. This recipe is comfort food on the lighter side. Sometimes fall foods make me feel just so darn full, so what I did to avoid a near-food coma situation was stuff the squashes with a light & bright quinoa salad. Serve…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Brussels Sprouts with Farro & Pomegranate

Roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic and maple star in this delicious autumn recipe. Serve it as a side dish, or enjoy it as a light meal on its own!

This balsamic Brussels sprouts recipe is an updated spin on one of our first-ever blog posts. In that recipe, I roasted the sprouts with a combination of balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. As a result, they became sweet and caramelized, with a great tang from the balsamic vinegar. This balsamic Brussels sprouts recipe starts in the same way, except that I roast the sprouts with onions. Then, when the veggies come out of the oven, I toss them with nutty farro to make a more substantial side dish. The combination of the oven roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic, the roasted onions,…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Coconut Macaroons

Here it is: the only coconut macaroons recipe you'll ever need! They're crisp on the outside, soft in the middle, and oh-so-good with a chocolate drizzle.

Truth: I have a hard time writing cookie posts without getting up to eat at least one. two. For this reason I usually like to post salads and other lighter foods on Mondays, but I’m switching things up today because sometimes you just need a #cookiemonday (or in this case a coconut macaroon Monday) and that’s ok. This coconut macaroons recipe is from Angela Liddon’s new book, Oh She Glows Every Day. I’m sure you all have it by now, right? If you don’t, and you’re vegan (and even if you’re not), you’re going to love it. It’s packed with SO MANY…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Roasted Delicata Squash Kale Salad

It’s Monday, which for me often means: salad day! This past weekend was full of food, wine, friends, and fun – but I’m definitely a little tired today and ready for a healthy eating reset. Not that this is rabbit food by any stretch – it’s full of roasted vegetables, nutty farro, roasted chickpeas, diced apples, cranberries… basically everything I love about fall in one hearty bowl. This one starts by roasting delicata squash and red onion wedges (btw, how pretty is this color combination?). To get the most out of my oven’s heat, I roasted chickpeas as well. Roast them…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Beet Hummus

I love the bright color of this slightly sweet beet hummus. A little cumin & coriander enhance its flavor, making it an addictive appetizer or snack!

I love the way this beet hummus tastes – it’s slightly sweet, but not too beet-y. Jack, our resident beet-hater, was skeptical as I made this, but he ended up loving it. But what really excites me is the color. It’s so bright and vibrant – exactly what I feel like eating in the middle of winter when the days are bleak and grey. Ok, that’s an exaggeration because it’s actually super sunny here today. But if it’s grey where you are – try out this beet hummus recipe. Beet Hummus Recipe Ingredients To make this recipe, 10 simple ingredients are…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Sweet Potato Pomegranate Crostini

Sweet Potato Pomegranate Crostini make a delicious holiday appetizer or snack! Topped with lemon sunflower spread or ricotta & herbs. Vegan, healthy & fun!

Hello, from holiday-break-land! This year, Jack and I had a quiet Christmas weekend at home. Which really means that we stayed in our pj’s until at least noon every day. We finished watching the new season of Fargo and we’re now onto Homeland (don’t tell me what happens!). We’ve made waffles and cocktails and all sorts of other soon-to-be recipes for this here blog. So far January is looking to be delicious, but before we get there here’s a little festive appetizer that would be perfect for a healthier New Years Eve get-together. This avocado pomegranate crostini is one of my favorites so I…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Winter Farro & Kale Salad

This 6-ingredient winter kale salad is sweet & salty, crunchy & crisp, and it's doused in a delicious gingery dressing. Make it for an easy weekday lunch!

All you want for Christmas is a Christmas salad – right? Ok, maybe not, but in between all of the cookies and other sweet treats, doesn’t it just feel so good to eat something nourishing before your next cocktail? This salad is packed with so many things that I crave, like dark leafy kale and hearty farro; and to make it extra festive – hazelnuts and pomegranates. It’s the salad that looks like a Christmas tree. You can use either lacinato kale (pictured) or curly kale for this recipe. I usually find curly kale to be a little bit softer, but this pretty bouquet of local…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Sweet & Spicy Popcorn

Easy 6-ingredient homemade Sweet & Spicy Popcorn is a great holiday gift! Vegan, gluten-free & healthier than classic kettle corn, but just as good.

Hello everyone, Jack here, pinch-hitting for Jeanine. She’s been busy making this very popcorn, so she asked me to write about it. Popcorn this time of year makes me think of something that has become a bit of an American tradition – gigantic multi-gallon tins of flavored popcorn. You know the kind – they’re the size of an oil drum, separated into three sections on the inside with a literal ton of popcorn inside. It seems like a good idea – popcorn is cheap, so why not preserve it in a sticky, sugary shell to enjoy over the entire month of December? Well,…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

Butternut squash stuffed shells are the ultimate fall comfort food! Filled with creamy spinach "ricotta," this recipe is an all-time fan favorite.

Creamy, tangy, and with a caramelized sweetness from roasted butternut squash, this stuffed shells recipe is one you’re sure to love. In lieu of any ricotta, Parmesan, or mozzarella cheese, I stuff them with a light, dairy-free “ricotta.” Made from cashew cream, crumbled tofu, herbs, and lemon zest, it’s rich and flavorful. If your family is squeamish about tofu, just don’t tell them. They’ll never suspect it here. My Favorite Stuffed Shells Recipe While I often use a marinara sauce with my stuffed shells, in the spirit of fall, I opted for a luscious, creamy cashew sauce. I also stuffed my shells…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>
A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.