No frills and nothing fancy: just a perfectly moist, classic vegan pumpkin bread!

Pumpkin season kicked off last month. I kept trying to think of cool and creative things to do with my cans of pumpkin purée. But the first thing I really craved was a thick slice of pumpkin bread—no glaze, no add-ins, no frills—to be served with a cup of coffee. It’s a classic for a reason, right?

Components of a classic pumpkin bread

The right amount of sweetness

Unlike banana bread or banana muffins, pumpkin bread doesn’t contain a sweet fruit. And I don’t use applesauce as a liquid ingredient, as I do in a lot of baking recipes. The sugar here provides most of the sweetness, along with some natural sweetness from the pumpkin. For me and my taste buds, this loaf is perfectly sweet.

The right amount of moisture

Speaking of sugar, I use brown sugar in the recipe, which helps to keep the pumpkin bread extra moist. (If you’re out of brown sugar, cane sugar and coconut sugar are fine to substitute.) But the main reason that this loaf has such a lovely, tender texture is of course the pumpkin itself, which keeps the bread moist as it bakes. I used an entire cup of pumpkin purée in the bread, which makes it possible to only use 1/3 cup of oil.

No frills, no fuss

I like loading up my quick breads with fun add-ins as much as the next person. I’ve dumped dark chocolate chips, every type of chopped nut, chopped dates, and raisins into my muffins and quick breads. I’ve done pumpkin bread with chocolate swirl.

Honestly, though? I like an unadorned pumpkin bread best. I’ve seen glazed pumpkin bread and pumpkin bread with walnuts or pumpkin seeds. But when I set out to make this classic vegan pumpkin bread, I wanted it to be as simple. I wanted the pumpkin to shine through, and nothing else.

I guess this is a reflection of what I need and want from food lately: the comforting, familiar, and un-fussy.

Using pumpkin pie spice

I usually stock up on pumpkin pie spice at this time of year (King Arthur’s is my go-to). It’s perfect for so many fall baking recipes, from crisps and crumbles to scones and quick breads. Admittedly, I usually have its component spices in my pantry, but it’s an easy way to season recipes without having to open up lots of different jars.

With that said, you can easily substitute pumpkin pie spice in the recipe as directed. Or, if you’d like to make a big batch of your own and keep it in your pantry through baking season, here’s a good DIY tutorial from Sally.

Storing and serving classic vegan pumpkin bread

Once baked, this bread needs some time to cool: about fifteen minutes in the loaf pan, and another few hours on a cooling rack. As tempting as it is to eat the bread while it’s warm and freshly made, I think the cooling time is important. It helps the bread to hold its shape, so that you can slice it into perfect pieces later on.

If you don’t plan to eat your pumpkin bread right away, you can go ahead and freeze as many slices as you need to for up to six weeks. If you think it’ll disappear quickly (mine sure did), then you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four or five days. I usually freeze half of any quick bread—banana bread, zucchini bread, citrus bread, and so on—as soon as I’ve baked it. The other half becomes my snacking treats for the week ahead.

Making this pumpkin bread, more than any equinox or change in the weather, makes it truly feel like fall. I’m happy to have a recipe that feels like my forever pumpkin bread recipe. Hope that some of you will feel the same way.

And hey: if pumpkin bread isn’t really your thing, there are other options, and I’ll enjoy them with you. Now that I’m stocked up on pumpkin purée, I see pumpkin cranberry walnut muffins, pumpkin oat scones, and pumpkin carrot cake in the not-too-distant future.

Sending you wishes of coziness and comfort today, both of which feel more needed than ever.

xo

The post Classic Vegan Pumpkin Bread appeared first on The Full Helping.

We’re going back to Sicily! Pasta alla Norma is a delicious Sicilian pasta dish with eggplant, marinara and basil. I’m excited to introduce you to this dish because it is a completely satisfying vegetarian dinner. I’m craving a bowl as I type.

Most pasta alla Norma recipes are made with fried eggplant, but this recipe features roasted eggplant. Eggplant really absorbs oil like a sponge, so this lightens up the dish. Another plus? Roasting eggplant is easier and less messy.

I further lightened this classic recipe by using more eggplant and less pasta, so this dish won’t put you to sleep. It’s nice and saucy, just the way I like it.

I don’t speak Italian, so I first assumed that “norma” meant eggplant. Not the case! Norma is capitalized because she’s a lady. Or an opera, depending on how you look at it.

Here’s the backstory: Pasta alla Norma comes from Catania, a city on the eastern coast of Sicily. Catania is the hometown of Vincenzo Bellini, an Italian opera composer who lived in the early 1800s. One of Bellini’s most famous operas, Norma, is named after its lead character.

Folklore has it that playwright Nino Martoglio, after his first bite of this pasta dish, exclaimed, “Chista è ‘na vera Norma!” (“This is a true Norma!”) That’s quite a compliment.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Pasta alla Norma appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Because I am happiest when I let cakes be cakes, and cookies be cookies in all of their real-butter-and-refined sugar bliss, I rarely swap whole wheat or other ingredients in desserts in an effort to put a health halo on them, with two exceptions. The first is morning baked goods, usually muffins like these I’d make for the kids on a weekday, which just feel more breakfast when they least resemble, say, a birthday cake, not that there aren’t days that require that, too. The second is when I think the baked good is improved by the ingredient swap — more crisp/craggy, dynamic or flavorful. I just never expected it to happen to what we call our House Cookie — a one-bowl oatmeal cookie I’ve probably made many times a year for well over a decade, always putting extra scoops in the freezer, so we can have freshly baked cookies when life demands them.

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This classy spinach salad is a salad to impress! Smoky pecans and a creamy balsamic vinaigrette make the best counterpoint to this leafy green.

Here’s a salad to impress. It’s everything a classy spinach salad should be, full of texture and flavor contrasts. You’ll barely notice you’re eating this healthy leafy green when it’s covered tangy balsamic vinaigrette. There’s crunchy smoky pecans, almost bacon-like glazed with maple syrup and soy sauce. Add hard boiled eggs or a crisp-tart apple, and you’ve got a stunning side salad that will make everyone ooo and ahhh. (It happens every time we serve it…really.) It’s almost like the little black dress of salads: it’s brilliant for any occasion.

Ingredients in the best spinach salad

You may notice this salad has a vague retro vibe. In fact, it’s a spin on my Grandma’s 1970’s spinach salad…with a few tweaks! For the dressing we went with a classic balsamic vinaigrette, which complements the flavors perfectly. Instead of bacon, smoky glazed pecans create the illusion of meat but make the salad vegetarian. (For a fully plant based salad, we’ve got options too!) Here’s what you’ll need for this classic spinach salad:

• Hard boiled eggs or apple: Hard boiled eggs require forethought, so to whip this up in a flash substitute a crisp-tart apple. It’s just as good!
• Smoky pecans: The secret to bacon flavor without meat! Glaze whole pecans in a mixture of soy sauce, maple syrup and smoked paprika.
• Spinach: Baby spinach is more tender with a sweeter flavor; or, use chopped standard spinach.
• Shallot: Thinly sliced shallot is the best trick for green salads. Its delicate oniony flavor is gentler than red onion.
• Feta (optional): A sprinkle of feta cheese looks like confetti and brings a salty pop.
• Balsamic vinaigrette: Tie it all together with this incredible homemade dressing.

How to make smoky pecans (or use plain!)

One of the best parts of this salad is the pecans masquerading as bacon. Of course, if you’re running short on time: you can skip this step and just use plain pecans! But to make a truly magnificent spinach salad, it’s worth the time. Here are a few notes about the process:

• You’ll need a skillet and 6 to 8 minutes. This is the time it takes to heat the glaze to cover the nuts.
• They may come out soft or crunchy: either works! Making glazed nuts requires hitting the perfect sugar caramelization step to get them to dry into a crunchy glaze. If they come out soft: that’s ok! In fact, they taste more like bacon that way.

The best spinach salad dressing

What’s the best dressing for a spinach salad? Balsamic vinaigrette. Why? Spinach can have a bitter flavor undertone, so the tangy and subtly sweet notes of the dressing are the perfect pairing. Our favorite balsamic vinaigrette is very easy to whip up at home. All you need is 4 ingredients:

• Balsamic vinegar
• Dijon mustard
• Maple syrup
• Olive oil

The only other thing to note is to add the olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time and whisk vigorously. This is the key to getting a perfectly creamy emulsion. The Djion mustard also helps to make a fantastically creamy texture.

Using hard boiled eggs in salad

This spinach salad is absolutely classic with hard boiled eggs, as it harkens back to that 1970’s bacon and egg salad. And, they add a great amount of protein! One egg has 7 grams of protein. This is specifically helpful when you are looking for a side dish with protein to round out a vegetarian dinner.

If you can, make up a batch of hard boiled eggs in advance. This makes the salad quicker to put together. Store the hard boiled eggs refrigerated with the shell on (this keeps them fresher).

Apple makes this spinach salad quick and easy (and vegan)

Often we don’t think ahead enough to have time for hard boiled eggs. So if we’re serving this for an easy weeknight meal side dish, we like to use an apple instead! Using a crisp-tart apple makes a great flavor and texture contrast and fills out the salad. Of course, it doesn’t have the protein that a hard boiled egg does. But it’s a great stand-in! Of course, you can also add apple to salad with the eggs: even better!

You can also use this as a vegan variation. Use a crisp tart apple and omit the feta cheese crumbles: or use a dairy free cheese crumble of your choice.

Other adders to this salad!

Here are a few more ingredients you could add to this salad that make it incredible tasty:

• Mushrooms: Thinly sliced raw mushrooms are common in a classic spinach salad. Add these if you like!
• Bacon: Can’t live without actual bacon? Swap the smoky pecans for bacon.
• Prosciutto: Cured ham like prosciutto or jamón serrano would also work well.
• Croutons: Try these Homemade Garlic Croutons.

Ways to serve this spinach salad

There are so many ways to pair this spinach salad! In fact, it’s one of the most versatile green salad recipes we have. Use it to round out a vegetarian dinner, or it pairs well with seafood and chicken. Here are our top ways to serve it:

• Salmon: Serve it with Quick Broiled Salmon, Pan Seared Salmon, or Pesto Salmon.
• Shrimp or scallops: Add to Creamy Shrimp Pasta, Shrimp Pesto Pasta, Easy Pesto Shrimp, or Pan Seared Scallops.
• Lasagna: Try it with Perfect Zucchini Lasagna or Favorite Vegan Lasagna.
• Eggplant parmesan: Serve it with Baked Eggplant Parmesan.
• Pasta: Add to Cherry Tomato Pasta, Baked Rigatoni Pasta or Pesto Cavatappi.
• Pizza: Try it with Classic Burrata Pizza, Ultimate Spinach Pizza or Perfect Pan Pizza.
• Soup: Add to Creamy Broccoli Potato Soup, Loaded Potato Soup, Wild Rice Soup or Curried Butternut Squash Soup.

A few more spinach salads

Love spinach salad? Us too. Here are a few more variations on this easy side dish for all the seasons:

• Spinach Apple Salad Apples, pears, candied nuts and that beautiful balsamic dressing. This one’s another classic!
• Strawberry Spinach Salad This salad has double the berries: sliced ripe berries and sweet tart strawberry vinaigrette salad dressing!
• Blueberry Spinach Salad This blueberry salad with spinach, feta, and a balsamic dressing is a total crowd pleaser.
• Blackberry Spinach Salad Classic and chic: blackberries, greens, goat cheese, and almonds, tossed with a creamy balsamic vinaigrette.

This spinach salad recipe is…

Vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free. For vegan and plant-based, use the variations listed above.

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A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Chicken divan is a creamy chicken casserole recipe topped with crispy buttered breadcrumbs. It’s easy to make, can be prepped ahead of time, and is a classic family favorite.

Complete the meal with some roasted lemon parmesan garlic asparagus and a pot of perfect basmati rice.    

Easy Chicken Divan

Chicken divan is comfort food at its finest. Shredded chicken is wrapped up in a creamy cheese sauce, topped with buttered breadcrumbs, then baked until bubbly and delicious. 

It’s always a winner at our dinner table and there are rarely leftovers. 

But when we can’t finish it all, it’s just as delicious warmed up for lunch the next day. 

How to Make Baked Chicken Divan:

This is a very simple recipe that can be divided into 3 parts:

1. Cooking the chicken: Poach chicken breasts and then shred them, but you can easily use leftover or rotisserie chicken.
2. Making the sauce: After you whisk some butter and flour in a pan, simply add the other sauce ingredients and let the cheese melt. Easy!
3. Buttering the breadcrumbs: Simply mix some panko or breadcrumbs with melted butter. 

Once you have these three parts ready to go, all you have to do is assemble the casserole and pop it into the oven!

What is in the sauce?

Chicken divan sauce is a creamy cheese sauce. There are many different variations, but we love ours best because it’s both easy to make and flavorful. 

1. Butter 
2. Flour
3. Cream of chicken soup
4. Cheese
5. Milk
6. Sour cream
7. Dijon mustard

Can Delicious Chicken Divan be Made Ahead of Time?

Yes! Chicken divan can be prepped and assembled up to 2 days in advance. 

Tip: It is best to prevent the breadcrumbs from becoming soggy. Take the breadcrumbs and store in a separate container. When ready to serve the casserole, add them to the casserole just before you put it into the oven.

Chicken Variations:

This is a flexible recipe. We often add different veggies, rice, or noodles to the dish.

If adding variations, reduce the chicken to 3 chicken breasts and use 2 cups of the variations. Here are a few ideas:

• Peas (thawed)
• Onions (sauteed)
• Broccoli (lightly steamed)
• Rice (cooked)
• Egg noodles (cooked)
• Bacon (cooked crispy)

Make a Complete Meal!

The creamy sauce is delicious spooned over rice or noodles. Try this chicken divan with a side of vegetables.

Here are a few that go well:

• Best Roast Broccoli
• Garlic Butter Parmesan Carrots (The best carrots ever!)
• Sautéed Garlic Asparagus with Bacon
• Focaccia Bread

More Amazing Casserole Recipes:

• Taco Casserole
• Turkey Mediterranean Casserole
• Chicken Parmesan Casserole
• No Peek Chicken and Rice Casserole