Of all the winter squash, I lean towards using delicata more often than not. It’s a versatile little squash that requires no peeling and tends to be a bit more quick cooking compared to other varieties. Delicata works well as a side, like in this recipe but I love it in tacos, on top of pizza, and stuffed.

Pistachios are not usually my go-to nut but this side dish was inspired by a recent meal I had that featured something similar with delicata/butter/pistachios. I loved how the pistachio flavor melded with the roasted delicata squash.

I know pistachios are a bit on the expensive side, especially shelled. This roasted squash would also work well with toasted pecans or walnuts. You could also swap out the pistachios for pumpkin seeds. This would keep the beautiful green pop of color.

It’s probably pretty obvious if you look at my recipes but I’m obsessed with adding crushed red pepper to things. I love a bit of heat to my meals and this honey delicata squash is no different. However, you don’t necessarily need it. You could also add a sprinkle of aleppo pepper (also borrowed from the aforementioned side dish I had).

You may remember that a few months back I took a trip out to the honey farm where Nugget Markets sources their honey. After that, I stocked up on the honey and have been using it on everything from crepes, in dressing, and in dishes like this roasted delicata squash!

I’m excited to partner with Nugget Markets to bring you this simple holiday side dish. I have a slight obsession with Nugget Markets. It’s like all my favorite grocery stores came together under one roof. I can pick-up things from bulk, grab some organic produce, and find all the cheeses I would ever need.

I love a good dip and it's amazing what you can make with a few vegetables and some legumes. Puree cooked carrots or beets for a beautiful color. Toss in handfuls of fresh herbs. And when all else fails, go for a delicious cheese sauce (that could even be vegan!)

Avocado White Bean Dip
White Bean Carrot Dip
Pecan Beet Dip
Roasted Garlic White Bean Dip
Vegan Butternut Squash Queso (c/o The First Mess)

I feel like everyone could use a few easy recipes to reach for when guests are coming over. For fun snacks, popcorn is one of my go-to items. It's easy to whip up and the flavor combinations are endless. This also goes for nuts too. So many ways you can spin such simple ingredients.

Berbere Roasted Pistachios
Coconut Curry Popcorn
Honey Mustard Roasted Nuts
Adobo Popcorn
Bloody Mary Popcorn (c/o 101 Cookbooks)

There's nothing I've really run into that I don't love on toast. During the cooler months, whipped vegetables and cheese are usually my go-to. Below is just a start and if you're looking for something similar but non-bread based, I love how easy endives are!

Pumpkin Ricotta Crostini
Buttered Radish and Ricotta Toast
Sweet Potato Goat Cheese Crostini
Endives with Roasted Beet and Avocado
Cheese Crostini with Fig Jam (c/o Snixy Kitchen)

Finally, for a little more work, you can whip up flatbreads. Make these recipes easier by using premade dough. Look for this dough in the freezer or cooler sections of your local grocery store.

Mediterranean Flatbread
Fig Jam Flatbread
Olive Pizza Flatbread
Broccolini Charred Lemon Flatbread (c/o Sprouted Kitchen)

I’ve chatted a bit about different varieties of whole wheat flour before but I always feel like it’s worth revisiting. My go-to wheat flour for pancakes is almost always whole wheat pastry flour. Using pastry flour keeps the texture of the pancake lighter than a more traditional hard wheat flour would be.

In addition to pastry flour, I’ve also found I love using Einkorn flour as a 1:1 substitute for the pastry flour. Einkorn is such a warm, light flour. Of course, you can always swap in all purpose or your favorite gluten-free mix!

Frontier Co-op has a few different varieties of cinnamon that range from the slightly sweet, like this Vietnamese cinnamon to Korintje cinnamon, which is a bit on the spicier side. Each cinnamon has root in different cuisines and I’ve started to use different varieties for different uses. A far cry from the three year-old cinnamon I’d often find pushed back in my cupboard.

I realize I’m pushing towards the end of persimmon season since we’re officially in hoshigaki time. However, if you can land your hands on fresh, persimmons make for such a lovely pancake topping.

Of course, you can always swap them out for another firm, cooler-weather fruit such as apples or pears.

Finally, the walnuts are optional but I’m a texture person who almost always needs a little crunch. Toasted pecans would work well as a substitution or go with sunflower seeds for a non-nut crunch.

I love the flavor arugula adds to any sandwich or burger. The baby arugula you find in most stores in mild, with just a hint of pepperiness. This is the version I prefer with this stuffed pita. However, you can also use the spicier arugula you might find at the farmers market.

If arugula isn’t your thing, swap it for baby spinach. You could also use lettuce (like a nice leaf of butter lettuce!)

I like keeping a few premade items on hand. In an ideal world I’d make everything from scratch but the truth is, I’m not there in my life. And so, I turn to companies I know use minimal but solid ingredients.

These Sweet Heat Beet Veggie Burgers from Dr. Praeger’s are new and now one of my favorite options. They have a good flavor, six types of veggies, and have 19g of protein in one patty. Plus, they are vegan and gluten-free.

Obviously, using feta is a no-go if you want to make this vegan. However, since the burgers are vegan, I want to give you an alternative. You could use a vegan feta but frankly, it’s more work than it’s worth. I’d recommend going with a nice layer of hummus instead!

Finally, if you want to ditch the pita: turn this into a salad. Cooking up a veg burger as salad topping is one of my favorite things to do. It’s an easy way to make a filling salad without reaching for a ton of ingredients.

Rice papers are a pantry staple in my house. I want to know that if I have produce on hand, I could easily whip up a batch of spring rolls. I usually prefer these brown rice wrappers but they aren’t the friendliest version to start your rolling journey.

There are also discrepancies among different brands of regular rice papers. Some are too thin and tear easily while some have other ingredients outside of tapioca and rice. This older post about the differences can also be super helpful.

This recipe has actually lived on the site for years but was one that needed a solid update. The original version called for using rice noodles with the sweet potatoes. While I still like this version, it’s heavier than these all veg and green version.

If you want to add rice noodles, cook according to the package, drain, and then rinse. Add a about ¼ to ⅓ cup of noodles to each other. I really like Annie Chun’s Maifun brown rice noodles. Beyond adding these noodles to the sweet potato rolls, they also work well as the basis for veg-heavy noodle bowls.

One thing to watch with this recipe is the spice-level. I like these spring rolls pretty spice so I use what feels like a decent amount of crushed red pepper. You can obviously use less or you can switch up the source of the heat.

If I have sambal oelek or a garlic-chili paste on hand, I’ll often use that as a substitute. If you’re not a fan of spice, ditch the crushed red pepper all together or go with ½ teaspoon.

If you’re not feeling confident in your rolling ability or can’t find the rice papers, turn this into a salad. The sweet potatoes and spinach make for a great salad combination. Use a ginger-based dressing to boost up the flavor.

Spring rolls can be made ahead of time, up to 24 hours. When I do this, I wrap them in a damp towel and place in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

One of the major adjustments to life with my husband was life visiting family with my husband. For any occasion or holiday, we'd all pile into one given house. At first I was completely overwhelmed (this was not a trait of my family) but now, it's something I love about holidays.

Of course, when your house goes from 3 people to 12 people, it's time to pull out the recipes you know easily scale. For this I turn to granolas, pancakes, waffles, and beautiful (easy) eggs bakes.

Blueberry Chia Jam with Yogurt and Sunflower Crunch
Oat Teff Pancakes
Kale Baked Eggs with Dukkah
Spelt Waffles

If you're not used to dealing with special diets, it can be kind of intimidating. But, with a bit of prep and knowledge, you can rock an delicious gluten-free friendly breakfast. For grain-based items, use quinoa or millet. Look for recipes that are naturally gluten-free (like the tostadas). Finally, for many recipes, you can swap a 1:1 flour in for all-purpose and have delicious gluten-free pancakes or waffles.

Spinach Millet Egg Bake
Enchilada Skillet with Eggs
Breakfast Tostada
Gluten-Free Cornmeal Waffles with Sorghum Strawberries

Similar to the gluten-free recipes, I shoot for recipes I know everyone will enjoy. Porridges with alternative milks are a great way to go. I actually prefer my porridges with almond or oat milk. Granola is also a great way to go. Pick up regular and vegan yogurts to please everyone!

Cracked Einkorn Porridge with Stewed Blood Oranges )(use alternative milk + non-honey alternative
Grain-Free Granola
Garlicky Bean Toast (leave off the feta)
Vegan Carrot Waffles

When all else fails, baked goods are a good thing to have on hand. There's nothing quite as perfect as a hot cup of tea and a slice of the pumpkin bread. Best of all, many baked goods, like scones and muffins, can be made ahead of time and frozen. I like to keep a batch in the freezer and pull them out when I need something extra.

Pumpkin Bread with Oats
Savory Scones with Chives and Feta
Pistachio Chocolate Chip Muffin
Lemon Poppy Seed Scone

Finally, my favorite category: egg-based breakfast recipes. Baked eggs, frittatas, and quiches are an easy go-to. But I don't stop there. Toast and veg-cakes are also great when topped with eggs. Best of all, for the egg toppings, you can use soft-boiled eggs (which can be all cooked at once!)

Quinoa Chard Frittata with Balsamic Onions
Broccoli Melt with Fried Egg
Sunchoke Latkes with Poached Egg
Kale Quiche with Garlic
Sweet Potato Hash Egg Skillet

One of the biggest pushes for sharing this recipe is to chat about chard. Whenever I ask people what one thing they wish they cooked more with, I get an overwhelming amount of ‘chard’ as the answer. It can be a tough green to like but it’s one of those ‘get to know’ type items. Meaning, once you get to know it, you become good friends.

To get you started, I’ll let you in on my relationship with this greenage. I like chard just barely-cooked OR completely cooked, beyond recognition. Chard, when cooked to an in-between stage, has an unappealing, almost slimy texture. It’s just not my thing.

And so, for this chard frittata, I cook the greens well. Beyond well, really. It melts into the onions and it’s the perfect companion for the quinoa and feta.

I love the flavor of caramelized onions but I’m in the camp that you can’t have true caramelized onions without a solid amount of time. Anything labeled as such but only tells you to cook onions for 20 minutes is just wrong. You need the gift of time to really get that perfect, sweet flavor.

However, I have a cheat and it’s perfect for when I want flavorful onions in less than 20 minutes. I cook the onions until soft and add a splash of balsamic vinegar. It’s definitely not the same flavor but cooking the onions a bit longer in the vinegar allows the vinegar to reduce and become a bit sweeter, helping the onions out.

You could always use pre-cooked caramelized onions (if you’re into batch/prep cooking). You could also just use regular cooked onions or shallots (equally as nice in this recipe).

Grains aren’t a normal frittata addition for most but they are almost a necessity in my kitchen. I don’t like an overly-eggy frittata. It’s why I don’t use a ton of milk in the base (in fact, you’ll see I use cream instead of milk too). Using grains really helps balance the egg to extra ratio.

So why Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa? It’s my dependable, quick-cooking grain. It cooks in the amount of time it takes to make the onions. But really, more often than not, I already have a batch cooked in my refrigerator making this chard frittata even easier.

Honeynut squash was developed through a challenge between Dan Barber and Michael Mouzarek. The goal: grow a better version of the butternut squash. Amazingly enough, not only did the honeynut squash come from that challenge but a new seed company focused on cross breeding vegetables (called Row 7). I have dreams of growing quite a few different varieties.

In terms of the honeynut squash, think of what a butternut squash taste like but intensify the flavor. It has a warm sweetness that the traditional butternut squash just can’t rival. The honeynut squash was bred with taste in mind, and it definitely lives up to that goal.

Of course, it’s not always easy to find these delightful squash and that’s okay. This recipe would work just as well with regular butternut squash, delicata squash, or acorn squash. You could always switch mediums and try a twice-baked sweet potatoes.

Obviously, this would make a great addition to your holiday meal. It’s the perfect way to add color to your meal. Plus, these twice-baked honeynut squash can easily be prepped ahead of time and baked the second time right before serving.

Beyond the holidays, this recipe is great as a side with a solid salad (like this recipe), quinoa or brown rice cakes, or with a quiche/egg bake.

Swap the butter out for olive oil. The flavor won’t quite be the same but it will work just as well. You could also go with a flavored oil like walnut oil. Using walnut oil would add a nice added flavor of the walnuts, working well with the rosemary and sage.

When thinking about the meal, I like to think about a few different elements including but not limited to:

Greenery: even though salad isn’t a traditional holiday dish, it’s become one for me. I find a fresh salad can balance all the rich food that often finds it’s way to the table. The salad doesn’t have to be overly complicated either! It could be a bit of greens, a sprinkle of nuts, and a nice dressing.

Beet Salad with Broiled Feta and Sesame Sunflower Seeds
Romesco Potato Arugula Salad
Kale Risotto with Feta
Sweet Potato Salad with Butter-Hazelnut Dressing

Protein: this is important. One of the things I find lacking in most vegetarian dishes at a non-vegetarian event is the concept of protein. For meat-eaters, it’s easy but for vegetarians, it’s not always obvious. Bulk up on beans, don’t shy away from nuts/seeds, and remember even some grains, like quinoa, carry a nice bit of protein.

White Bean Masala Smothered Sweet Potatoes
Radicchio Salad with Lentils and Roasted Acorn Squash
Stuffed Delicata with Chimichurri Black Beans

Richness Balance: Going back to the idea of adding salad to the table, not everything has to be overloaded with cheese, butter, and cream. The beauty of a vegetarian holiday meal is that the vegetables can really shine.

When planning for a vegetarian holiday meal, you might need to include some vegan or gluten-free options. This shouldn’t be a huge deal! Most of the vegetarian dishes I’m listing in this post have vegan/gluten-free alternatives.

Most vegetarian-friendly dishes can make the leap to vegan with a few simple swaps. And as for gluten-free, it’s often a matter of switching grains and using a solid 1:1 gluten-free flour. I find if I’m trying to accommodate different people’s dietary needs, I go with something that is gluten-free/vegan.

A few favorite gluten-free/vegan recipes:

Harissa Roasted Carrots with White Beans
Bean Bake with Greens and Turnips
Quinoa and White Bean Risotto with Brassicas

I think one of the biggest challenges with holiday meals is convincing family that it’s okay to switch things up! If your family has their favorites, try just adding one or two new dishes into the mix. We definitely keep the green bean casserole around but add in a couple dishes of roasted vegetables and salads. This way, everyone is happy!

You don’t need to overhaul all of the holiday dinner. Strike a balance between traditions and new ideas. If something doesn’t work out, that’s okay!

A few of my favorite non-traditional adds to the table include:

Roasted Mole Cauliflower with Chickpeas
Grilled Pear Halloumi Salad
Red Kuri Squash Curry with Chard
Potato Green Curry

Over the years, I’ve seen my fair-share of sad, want-to-be turkey main courses for a vegetarian holiday meal. I’m not a huge fan of the 1:1 replacement. I’d rather make something that is beautiful and delicious, even if it doesn’t fill the turkey void.

If you wanted to stick with a main that looks almost as impressive as a turkey, the whole-roasted cauliflower route can work. There are also things like this butternut squash vegducken or this pre-made celebration roast. Full disclosure about the vegducken: it looks beautiful but I’ve never made it!

I prefer to stick with easy items. Quiche, pasta, risotto, or squash topped with beans. This is just the beginning. A few of my go-to main-course holiday recipes:

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
Whole Roasted Tikka Masala Cauliflower
Roasted Carrot Polenta with Sage and Walnuts
Farro Risotto with Walnut Cream and Roasted Butternut Squash
Roasted Red Kuri Squash with Cannellini Bean and Spinach Salad

Of course, with a well-planned menu, a meal can also be all about the sides! If there’s three to for solid side options, I can easily be happy. Best of all, this is a great way to appease everyone! Upgrade your sides to be colorful and vegetable-heavy while keeping some of your traditional items! A few side options:

Beet Wild Rice Salad with Pistachios
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Manchego
Garlicky Yogurt Green Beans with Walnuts
Pan-Fried Turnips with Thyme and Breadcrumbs

When you think California produce, you might only think about the items that hit the produce aisles in your grocery store. Sure, the state grows a lot of that kind of produce. However, there are also some other magical kinds of items that are grown with the same kind of care. This cauliflower salad was inspired by a recent trip down to Fresno to learn about California Ripe Olives.

There are two types of olives that are grown for table olives: Manzanillo and Sevillano. These two varieties have a nice buttery flavor and work great as both the green and black olives. Interestingly enough, all the olives come off the tree green. It’s only in processing, when oxygen is added to the process, that green olives turn black. Same olives, same flavor- just different colors!

Olives are a great crop in California. They don’t have too many pests (if you’ve ever tried an olive right from the tree- it’s super bitter!) Olives also don’t require a large amount of water and can grow in a variety of soil. Plus, sustainability in the olive industry is important. Every part of the olive is used. Olive pits can be used in everything from making fuel to synthetic field material.

As for this cauliflower salad, I think all the ingredients come together for a delicious lunch dish. The roasted cauliflower is warming while the olives and parmesan brings the salt. The sorghum and sunflower seeds really bring the texture.

Don’t have sorghum? Use another grain you might have on hand. I love the chewiness sorghum brings to the overall texture of the dish. Try cooked farro, einkorn, or barley. Quinoa would work well but I’d add a few extra sunflower seeds to boost the texture.

Parmesan, the veg-friendly kind

Finally, my note every time I use parmesan. European parm is made with animal rennet (it had to be to be labeled ‘parm’). However, there’s some American cheese producers making vegetarian-friendly parm. Double check your parm and when in doubt, ask the cheesemonger- they should know!

[tasty-recipe id="37287"]

Disclosure: This recipe was created in partnership with California Ripe Olive. All thoughts and opinions are my own. It’s content like this that helps me keep this site running to provide the vegetarian recipes you see every week.

Sure, you can buy the canned pumpkin but I don’t think you’ve experienced all fall has to offer until you roast a pumpkin. The flavor and texture is a bit different from the canned counterpart. I find the flavor to be a bit more mellow and the texture to be not as thick. For this reason, I cook this pumpkin polenta version a bit more firm than I normally would and then add the pumpkin.

If you decided you didn’t want to use pumpkin, butternut squash, acorn squash, or pureed sweet potatoes would all work well. I like to make dishes like this if I have leftover whipped sweet potatoes. Of course, you can always use canned pumpkin (especially if you have leftovers!)

Making polenta is one of the base cooking items I recommend you get in your repertoire. It’s not tricky once you get the feel for the steps and being patient is worth the time. I like cooking polenta for at least 30 minutes over really low heat. This mellows out the corn flavor and really makes for a rich-tasting polenta (even before you add any butter or cream!)

Another option, use millet in place of the polenta. This is one of my favorite tricks for people who try to avoid corn. Millet is a seed that, when cracked, has similar properties as polenta. The millet cooks up creamy and can even be cooled, cut, and fried the next day.

In terms of beans, cook them at home. I love dried pinto beans that are cooked with a sizable helping of onions, garlic, and herbs. Cooking them at home sets the second round of cooking, with the chipotle, even more tasty.

Don’t have pinto beans? Swap them for black beans. Both work well with the flavors in the polenta and they both make for a gorgeous final plating.

If you happen to have leftovers, I recommend you store them separately, primarily for the benefit of the polenta. To reheat the polenta, warm on low in a small pot or heat in the microwave. Heat the beans in a similar fashion and combine like you would in the recipe.

When it comes to ingredients in your kitchen, it can be easy to forget that non-produce items come with ‘best by’ dates. I’ve witnessed many a spice cabinets with bottles dating back years, if not decades. Olive oil that should went rancid ages ago. And nuts that are questionable at best.

And so, I’m working on a series based around the notion that all ingredients in your kitchen should be treated as if it were kale or tomatoes. Fresh is best and care needs to go into all ingredients you keep on hand. Knowing how to store and use in a short order is everything!

First up: walnuts! While I use these nuts year-round in my house, I find an uptick during the cooler months. They also pair so wonderfully with the earthy flavors of fall. Use walnuts to make a solid cream sauce, make nut-milk, or add in granolas and toppings.

There are two overarching kinds of walnuts: English (Persian) and Black Walnut. The English variety are the common, store varieties. These walnuts are thought to originate in the Middle East but thanks to English traders, spread throughout the world (and also picked up the ‘English’ name).

Black walnuts are actually native to the United States. I actually grew up with a beautiful black walnut tree in my backyard in Illinois. These types of walnuts were a staple in diet and medicine by indigenous people.

The difference? English walnuts are more mild in flavor and easier to shell. This combination is why almost all walnuts sold in stores are a variety of English walnut. However, if you have a chance to try a black walnut, do it. One of my favorite desserts is a chocolate chip cookie made with black walnuts.

99% of all walnuts grown in the United States are grown in California. Walnut harvest happens primarily in September/October. There are 30 different varieties grown from the English walnut family but you wouldn’t be able to tell once all the walnuts hit the market. Walnuts are a fresh produce item. This means they hit shelves only a 5 to 6 days after being harvested.

The harvest process is straightforward. Large harvesters shake the walnuts from the trees which then get swept up and sent to a drying facility. At the facility, the walnuts are stripped of their outer green hull, rinsed, and dried to an 8% moisture level. This stabilizes the nut and makes it ready for processing.

After the drying process, walnuts are sold in their shells or processed out of the shell into halves or pieces. These are the walnuts you can find in your bulk bins and on store shelves.

Of note, very few walnuts are grown organic. Many California farmers use cover crops/grasses to amend the soil but when it comes to the trees, soft/targeted pesticides are used for a specific type of insect. However, because of the green hull and the tough brown shell, pesticides are unlikely to end up on the final product (unlike items that often find themselves on the dirty dozen list).

Once walnuts end up in your care they need to be in cold storage. Walnuts have a high fat content which leads to a rancid product fairly quickly. Plus, the cold storage helps keep in the flavor you would lose at room-temperature storage.

Walnut halves/pieces can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer for up to a year. I prefer to cycle through them a bit quicker and will keep a container in my refrigerator no longer than six months.

When shopping for walnuts in the store, look to see if the bag has a harvest date or best-by date. If the nuts are over a year old or if the best-by date is coming soon, I’d look elsewhere. If you’re buying from the bulk bins at your local co-op, ask for a sample that you can taste/smell. You want a walnut that has a warm, kind of sweet flavor.

Tasting and smelling a walnut leads to: how can you tell if a walnut is rancid? This is one of those times you need to trust your instinct. If the walnut has a sharp, oxidized smell- it’s bad. If it smells bad, it’s probably bad. As for weight, fresh walnuts should have weight/firmness to them while older walnuts are lighter/dried out.

Toppings/Salads: The most obvious but still delicious, walnuts make for a solid companion to grain bowls and salads. Walnuts add a nice crunch and bit of warm flavor. Try toasting the walnuts beforehand to keep a good crunch in salads.

Walnut Cream/milk: As with most nuts and seeds, walnuts make for a wonderful nut-cream/milk. Walnuts, when blended with a bit of water, take on a nice, nutty flavor. The sauce is definitely a star in any recipe, a bit different from the mellow cashew cream.

Texture/’Meat’: Walnuts add a perfect texture to replacements for meat. they are a key player in my favorite lentil bites, nut burgers, and occasionally my favorite crumble recipe. I usually use walnuts and pecans interchangeably/together in these recipes.