Tag: recipe round-up

Top 10 Vegan Recipes To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

Don’t Kiss Me, I’m Not Irish

If you feel compelled to kiss random strangers for good luck on St. Patrick’s Day, I’d venture to say that you’ve taken superstitions too far. Kissing someone who is Irish is supposedly the next best thing to kissing the Blarney Stone although that’s also an act of questionable common sense. Hundreds of thousands of lips have graced that same limestone; do you really want to share those germs in a post-pandemic world?


Natural Green Cake Coloring

This year, I have ten sweet and savory vegan recipes for you to wrap your lips around instead. Full of lucky four-leaf clovers, potatoes, and glorious shades of green, any one of these treats is undoubtedly a better way to ensure good fortune. In fact, it will even grant you the “gift of gab,” since you won’t be able to stop raving about the delicious results.

Top 10 Vegan Recipes To Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the best vegan recipes that span from snacks to suppers, drinks to desserts.

Irish Almond Cream Liqueur

This homemade almond-based take on Baileys incorporates a touch of cocoa and coffee for a gentle mocha kiss. Flawlessly smooth and creamy, a straight shot envelopes the palate like liquefied ice cream, with an extra kick.

Serve it thoroughly chilled, on the rocks, for an instant after dinner treat, or use it as the catalyst for bolder culinary experiments. From brownies to cheesecakes, French toast to hot chocolate, it's an incredibly versatile ingredient in its own right.

Cruciferous Colcannon

For a delicious twist on the Irish staple, mashed broccoli and cauliflower join forces with kale, cabbage, and horseradish in this harmonious family reunion. They’re all cruciferous vegetables, and all pitch-perfect when singing together as a modern ode to the old-fashioned spud.

From Real Food, Really Fast by Hannah Kaminsky

Green Milk

Green milk isn't just a mythological drink from Star Wars! It's a very real, highly nutritious, and incredibly delicious homemade nut milk that you'll want to drink by the gallon.

Avocado Bread

This bread gets its soft, tender crumb and vibrant hue from a buttery blend of both mashed avocado and avocado oil. It makes for brilliant sandwich bread as well, sliced thin and layered with sweet and savory fillings alike… But of course, I’d always opt to add more avocado whenever possible.

Potato Leek Soup

Easy, creamy, comforting soup rich with potato and leek goodness. One spoonful will brighten your mood and if you're feeling under the weather, it could possibly cure what ails you, too.

Shamrock Shake

Make your own shamrock shakes from scratch with a natural green hue, thanks to a hearty pinch of matcha powder. Even better than the original inspiration, clean mint flavor and light sweetness serves to accentuate and harmonize with the bitterness of matcha.

Gluten-Free Minted Pea Crackers

These crisp gluten-free crackers are so good for munching solo or pairing with a light dip, you’d never know they're such healthy snacks. A gluten-free base of green pea flour contributes a distinctly nutty, roasted flavor which pairs perfectly with the fresh flavors of mint, lemon, and black pepper.

Shamrock Patties

Sweet, refreshing, and strongly minty, these soft patties are the green cousins to the typically chocolate-covered mint fondants. Contrasted by an emerald-colored coating of slightly bitter matcha, these mature treats are far more complex in flavor than their playful appearance might suggest.

Four-Leaf Clover Rolls

Infused with chopped spinach for a subtle green color, these four-leaf clover rolls will improve your luck for working with yeast, since it's a truly foolproof recipe.

Cheddar Sheese Scones

Buttery, flaky, and packed with cheddar shreds, it’s never been so good to be so cheesy. These savory biscuits are moist and soft inside while remaining crisp and golden brown all over.

Hannah (BitterSweet)3 Comments

How to Build a Vegan Cheese Board

For any gathering big or small, a well-appointed cheeseboard has always seemed like the height of sophistication. Arranged just so over a distressed wood plank, discrete piles of sweet and savory morsels sparkle like jewels in a treasure chest, waiting to be plundered. Carefully curated selections manage to dance in step no matter the pairing, as if they were all destined for this stage. How is it possible to create such a winning cheeseboard at home, with little experience, limited budget, or particular tastes?

If you’ve ever enjoyed cheese and crackers together, believe it or not, you’re already an expert. Putting together a selection of snacks for grazing isn’t rocket science. Start small and keep building as the occasion demands, breaking it down into five distinct categories for easy execution.

1 – 3 Types of Vegan Cheese

This is the star of the show here so don’t hold back. Plan on at least 1 – 2 ounces per person as an appetizer or snack. For a small party, it’s perfectly fine to focus on just one superlative cheese, but it’s always nice to offer different options to compare and contrast. Think of them in three categories while shopping or cooking:

Something Sweet

Personally, I wouldn’t go with desserts like cookies or truffles, but a more moderate, natural source of sweetness. The idea is to help balance the savory notes of the cheeses, rather than overpower them. That means relying on nature’s candy with no added sugars:

  • Fresh fruit (grapes, sliced apples or pears, berries)
  • Dried fruit (apricots, dates, figs)
  • Jam or preserves

Something Salty

There’s a lot of potential overlap in this category with the following, so you can pick one or the other for a smaller spread. For concentrated pops of salty contrast, I’d suggest at least one of these:

  • Pickles
  • Marinated artichokes
  • Olives
  • Capers

Something Crunchy

Texture is critical! It’s especially important to have something crispy when you have a soft, spreadable cheese on deck. There should be a vehicle for any schmear, and maybe even a crunchy topper to finish it off:

Something Neutral

There’s a whole lot going on with the rest of the board, so it’s nice to provide some blank space as a palate cleanser. These are also great options for those that really want to put the cheese first, but not just shove a whole plain wedge of it in their mouths. Use these as fillers when you have blank space:

  • Soft bread
  • Carrot or celery sticks
  • Cucumber slices

BONUS: Charcuterie

If this was a genuine charcuterie board, you’d want to go heavy on the sliced plant-based meats. That, however, is a whole separate topic in and of itself. Consider it a wildcard addition if you want some extra protein to make it more of a meal.

Don’t Forget…!

There’s plenty of overlap that exists and you shouldn’t let these simplified lists restrict your creativity! Consider candied nuts for a sweet, salty, and crunchy component, for example, or a spicy pepper jam that’s more hot than sweet.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with paring it down to the bare essentials; all you need is a really great cheese and hearty crackers to start a party on the right foot. Perfect for the holidays or everyday entertaining, a plant-based cheeseboard offers a little bit of something for everyone.

Hannah (BitterSweet)3 Comments

Best Vegan Pumpkin Recipes to Fall in Love with Autumn

Pumpkins have sustained and inspired us for centuries, rising to great acclaim as a social media darling after centuries in the root cellar. They were one of the first domesticated crops, dating back over 9000 years in Mexico. Those earliest ancestors were comparatively tiny, bitter, and tough, with little in common with any of the 45 different varieties that currently exist. It’s a good thing that all parts of the pumpkin are edible, including the leaves, flowers, and stems, securing the pumpkin’s place on homestead farms as it continued to evolve.

Of course, the pumpkin’s greatest claim to fame today has more to do with the associated spices than any of its natural charms. My feelings for the trend have come full circle. I’m no longer dismayed by the disconnect, but encouraged by the possibilities. Now we’re primed to fully embrace all the squash has to offer.

Get ready to fall harder for pumpkin this year. I’ve got the very best vegan recipes right here for you to explore both the sweet and savory sides of pumpkin, ranging from wholesome to indulgent, simple to complex. Canned puree is always available, but pumpkin cravings only peak this season. Don’t waste another autumn without knowing just how incredible pumpkin can taste.

Continue reading “Best Vegan Pumpkin Recipes to Fall in Love with Autumn” →

Hannah (BitterSweet)2 Comments

Too Much Is Never Enough [Zucchini]

“Too much zucchini” is a problem I’ve never had. While it’s true that I’m no gardener, I’m also no stranger to second-hand zucchini from friends and neighbors.

Big, small, serpentine, or spherical; all zucchini are welcomed with open arms. These green squash are even more versatile than cauliflower, if you ask me. They can blend into the background seamlessly, thickening soups and sauces without a hint of their vegetal origins, or steal the show as the main focal point of a dish. I have never once gotten tired of zucchini because zucchini can be anything.

If you’re struggling with an overabundance of summer squash, don’t panic. I’ve got a few fool-proof suggestions that will make easy work of even the largest harvest.

10 Best Zucchini Recipes

If you have too much zucchini on your hands and not enough ideas, these fool-proof recipes will help you make the most of your harvest.

Olive-Stuffed Eight Ball Zucchini

Greek-inspired seasonings pull together this unusual combination of olives, white beans, artichokes, and spinach beautifully, and set these stuffed zukes apart from the rest.

Zucchini Babka

Traditionally reserved for holidays, this rich, yeasted bread is the perfect vehicle for some of those excess zucchinis.  Really, you'd be kidding yourself if you approached this as a "healthier" treat thanks to the vegetables, as it could very well be more decadent than that ubiquitous carrot cake piled high with cream cheese frosting.   Don't let that stop you from having a thick slice for breakfast though; if you can call a cupcake without frosting a muffin, you can easily get away with pretending that this cake in bread's clothing is a reasonable choice to start the morning.  Your taste buds will certainly thank you.

Eggless Omelette Eight Ball Zucchini

Round summer squash stuffed with an eggless custard that falls somewhere between a soft scramble and a tender omelette, bursting with fresh vegetables and simple, comforting savory flavors.

Zuke-anoush (Zucchini Baba Ganoush)

For anyone avoiding nightshades, this eggplant-free take on baba ganoush is for you. Lightly roasted zucchini is blended with smoked salt and tahini for an incredibly accurate take on the original inspiration.

Roasted Zucchini and Chickpea Soup

Satisfying and filling thanks to the addition of gently crisped chickpeas, but still light and refreshing due to the simple sea of broth surrounding them, zucchini never felt more at home outside of the field than in this concoction. Highlighting their fresh flavor, slightly sweetened by drawing out the natural sugars while roasting, this is the kind of soup that I’m happy to eat both hot and cold.

Stuffed Zucchini Bites

Humble Zucchini rounds are filled with a hearty mixture of nuts and beans, plus aromatic herbs and spices. They could just as happily make themselves at home on a dinner plate, as a side or even an entree, thanks to their protein-rich stuffing. Best of all, they’re delicious both warm and cold, and can be prepared in advance.

Zu-Key-Ni Dill Muffins

Soft, tender, and rich, they're the kind of muffin that needs no additional toppings or spreads to shine. They're packed with zucchini to take care of any summer surplus in the most delicious way possible. Enjoy warm for maximum effect, ideally toasted to get those perfectly crisp edges, especially a day or two after baking.

Golden State Zoodles

A true flash in the pan, the edible gems are seared until their skins bubble and burst to create a sauce of their own juices. Zucchini noodles are tossed into the hot mixture, just to soften, but not cook, retaining a more toothsome bite and fresh flavor.

Creamy Zucchini Pinwheels

Walnuts blended with umami miso and savory herb turn into a stunningly creamy, unbelievably cheesy take on dairy-free ricotta. Wrapped up in tender planks of grilled zucchini and served with marinara sauce, it may just be the new power lunch.

Thai-Style Zucchini Ribbon Salad (Based on Som Tum)

Inspired by Thai papaya salad, this version uses zucchini that's chilled, tender yet crisp, cooling but still popping with bursts of heat from abundant flecks of chili peppers. Brightly acidic, tangy, and slightly salty, with just a touch of sweetness to take the edge off, every component must be in perfect balance to achieve a successful, harmonious dish.

Hannah (BitterSweet)6 Comments

Food for Fathers

Fathers, as a group of people, are not a monolith. Making a blanket statement about such an infinitely diverse and varied population would be incredibly shortsighted, to put it lightly. Fathers should absolutely be celebrated and appreciated, but not in the way that Hallmark cards seem to think.

To treat all fathers the same way is reductive, completely opposite to what we’re trying to convey in the first place. If it comes from a genuine place, Father’s Day is about recognizing the people that raised us for all their unique quirks, habits, and mannerisms. It’s a chance to reminisce about the lessons they taught us early on, our challenges and struggles together; all the things that make them who they are, and in turn, make us who we are.

That kind of depth defies stereotypical gift guides. You can’t put that in a cooler filled with ice or wrap it up in a tool set. I may not be able to speak as a Father myself, but I promise you, they don’t all want beefy burgers or “man caves” or golf sets. Once and for all, almost none of them want neckties.

I’m not going to offer you a recipe roundup of The Best Father’s Day Recipes for the simple reason that I don’t know your father or what they like. Instead, this is a roundup of things I think my father would like. Maybe you’ll find some overlap here for inspiration. Whatever you make, just make sure they know they’re loved. That’s the real point of this holiday.

Continue reading “Food for Fathers” →

Hannah (BitterSweet)5 Comments