Vegetables

Butternut Squash Curry with Apples and Basil

Butternut Squash Curry with Apples and Basil from dontmissdairy.com

This recipe has quickly become one of my fall favorites.  Whatā€™s more fall than squash? Add apples and spices and you have the ultimate fall inspired meal.

I first tried squash curry at the annual Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival. It was slathered over a steaming baked potato and was oh so amazing. I had it again this year and couldnā€™t wait to make it myself at home.

Butternut Squash Curry with Apples and Basil from dontmissdairy.com

Eric and I went this October, of course. It was our 5th Pumpkin Festival! Neither of us can believe weā€™ve lived in California this long. Itā€™s always the same routine:

We start out bright and early to get in line for pumpkin pancakes, homemade by the kids at Half Moon Bay High School. They are only served from 7-10am and the line gets long, so you must get there early.

After stuffing ourselves full of pancakes and sausage, we walk around and view the art, which always includes glass pumpkins. Main Street gets crowded fast, so we like to accomplish this as soon as possible.

This year they offered some new, tempting drinks. We had jack-o-tinis along with the typical pumpkin ale brewed by Half Moon Bay Brewery specifically for this festival.

And no pumpkin festival would be complete without seeing the giant pumpkins. This yearā€™s winner weighed in at a record 2,058 pounds.

Runner Up Pumpkins from Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival dontmissdairy.com

Before we head home along the winding mountain roads, we always stop at  Bobā€™s Pumpkin Patch to get a couple of pumpkins to carve for Halloween. 

Itā€™s a great annual tradition and I hope you get to check it out one day! Just remember to go early for the best experience. I mean like get-there-by-7am-early.  Trust me.

Bob's Pumpkin Patch Half Moon Bay, California from dontmissdairy.com

The first time I made this curry it was absolutely delicious. The second time I made it I decided it needed apples. Thereā€™s just something about the combination of squash and spices that goes so well with sweet apples. That being said, you can make this dish with or without them. Just donā€™t forget the wine!

Certainly the hardest part about this recipe is cutting the squash. It is helpful if you microwave the whole squash for a few minutes. It softens it up a bit. Be very careful.

I hope you enjoy this fall inspired meal. Please share on Instagram with #dontmissdairy if you make it!

Butternut Squash Curry with Apples and Basil from dontmissdairy.com

Butternut Squash Curry with Apples and Basil from dontmissdairy.com

Simple Quinoa Egg Bake

Simple Quinoa Egg Bake from dontmissdairy.com.

Say hello to one easy and healthy breakfast bake!

I meant to get this posted weeks ago, but Iā€™ve been behind on everything due to some health issues.

Basically, Iā€™ve been having problems falling asleepā€¦BIG time. I am taking steps to figure out the problem, but pretty much all aspects of my life will suffer for a time while I lie low and recover. Unfortunately, this is not something that will linger for a few weeks and pass, like a cold.

Needless to say, the overachieving lifestyle does not work for me right now.  And not getting sleep has been affecting my desire to cook in general and certainly my blogging. Iā€™ve been struggling with it for about a month, and while the problem is better, I am still working to get back to normal. So I do apologize for my infrequent posts.

I am also more motivated to make meals healthier than ever, so expect a healthy menu! I am avoiding alcohol, wheat, and sugar, and anything else that might make my hormone levels spike and keep me up at night. Hereā€™s a recipe that combines all my needs into one! Itā€™s a hearty and simple breakfast bake thatā€™s dairy-free and gluten-free.

Simple Quinoa Egg Bake from dontmissdairy.com.
This quinoa egg bake is very much like a quiche, but with a healthier crustā€“itā€™s the quinoa, of course! The idea of this recipe is that the veggies are supposed to float towards the top while the quinoa sinks to the bottom. Make sure to chop your veggies finely to achieve this. 

Once you pour the egg mixture into the baking dish, you will start to see the quinoa sinking to the bottom. Shake the dish a little bit to help the process along. Some quinoa will probably sit on top of the veggies. Using a spoon, lightly push that quinoa back into the egg mixture. Itā€™s okay if all the quinoa doesnā€™t get to the bottom.

You might find that the quinoa has sunk to one side. Just manipulate it by stirring some back to the other side of the dish and letting it sink to get an even crust.

This recipe is very versatile. You can omit the onions and peppers and only use spinach, or you can add finely chopped sausage or bacon and shredded potatoes. Another idea would be to drop in dollops of goat cheese along with tomato and basil (make sure you squeeze the liquid out of your tomatoes). You can adjust the seasonings as well to fit your needs. Try sage and rosemary in place of the granulated garlic. Vegan cheese would also be a great addition to this dish, although I recommend reducing the salt to half a teaspoon if you will be using a high salt content cheese.

This Quinoa Egg Bake showcases the flavor of your eggs. Fresh, great tasting eggs will greatly add to the overall flavor. I used Egglands Best, but if you can afford it, organic pastured eggs add so much more yum.

I found this recipe on the Whole Foods website, tried it dairy-free, and loved it so much I decided to make it my own. Itā€™s easy to make, super healthy, and high in protein. I just love how you throw everything in, shake, and bake! Simple!

Simple Quinoa Egg Bake from dontmissdairy.com.

Creamy Potato Soup with Almond Milk

Creamy Potato Soup with Almond Milk from dontmissdairy.com
What better time to make potato soup than St. Patrickā€™s Day weekend?

I just love having an excuse to make something creamy and delicious.

Potatoes are naturally creamy when boiled and mashed, so adding dairy is just a creamy bonus. Add light tasting and sweetened almond milk instead for a cream of potato soup that is out of this world!

This simple soup has the same chowder-like texture and color of a dairy potato soup, plus a savory taste that rivals the dairy version. You wonā€™t be able to tell thereā€™s almond milk in it. Trust me.

Campbellā€™s Cream of Potato used to be my favorite lunch time soup as a kid. My mom would buy it just for me and make it on the stove top with regular milk. And if a restaurant was serving potato soup, you better believe I was ordering it. Sadly, I havenā€™t had it in a long time because of my lactose intolerance. 

It is possible to find delicious creamy soups at the local grocery store that are dairy free. Safeway carries Pacific brand soups, some of which are dairy free, like their Cashew Carrot Ginger Soup and their Butternut Squash Soup, which is made with soy milk. Iā€™m still waiting for stores to sell almond milk based cream soupsā€¦maybe Pacific will take it on? I will definitely buy it! Until then, itā€™s not much work to make this recipe.

The best part about this creamy potato soup? No blender or food processor required! I adapted this recipe from ā€œUnbelievably Easy Potato Soupā€ on food.com. 
Creamy Potato Soup with Almond Milk from dontmissdairy.com

Creamy Potato Soup with Almond Milk from dontmissdairy.com