1 |   Main Dish

Cottage Cheese Loaf

Before becoming a vegetarian, there were a lot of food combinations that I had never tried. I hadn't heard of using cereal in a “meaty” dish. I’ve made this for a few family Thanksgiving meals and even the dedicated meat-eaters gave it a try. In my husbands family, each aunt has their own version. This recipe is my favorite. I bring it with me everywhere. From Australia to Minnesota, my loved ones have shared in this savory, nutty delight.

3 |   Side

Maple Glazed Rainbow Carrots

There are pictures of a very young me eating carrots from my grandma’s garden. It never occurred to me that there were people out there that didn’t like raw, unwashed carrots. My husband was one of these odd folks. I wanted to make him fall in love with carrots the way I had. This recipe is the result of that desire. Roasting the carrots in maple syrup infuses them with flavor. I still prefer them straight from grandma’s garden, but this is my second favorite way to eat them.

2 |   Salad

Wild Rice Stuffing

In high school, I was in charge of making the stuffing for family holidays. I made it almost the same every year. The base would be celery, onions, butter, and sage. The rest of the ingredients varied. In my adult years, I decided to start adding wild rice. It reminds me of Minnesota. I still prepare it with the usual celery and onions, but add a few extra ingredients to jazz it up a bit. Over the years, this recipe has developed into something I’m still proud to serve.

4 |   Dessert

Sticky Date Pudding

In Australia, a friend offered me sticky date pudding. I was skeptical about dates in a pudding. I was pleasantly surprise when she served me cake with carmel drizzle. The sauce was phenomenal; I asked for seconds. Nervous that I would mess up the recipe, I didn’t attempt to make it until a few years ago. It’s actually quite simple and completely worth the effort. In the recipe below, are a few inside tricks to making the best, lightest sticky date pudding.

1 lb cottage cheese

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup melted butter

2 1/2 cups Special K

3 eggs

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

2 pkg. dry broth/bouillon like McKay’s Beef Style Seasoning

Want to make this gluten-free? Rice Krispies now has a gluten-free cereal, which would make a great substitute for the Special K.

Make ahead option– Prepare the loaf to step number 3, cover tightly, and freeze for up to a month. When you want the loaf, thaw at room temperate for an hour then bake at 350˚ for 45 minutes or until dark brown.

The Simple Steps...

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚.

2. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together.

3. Spoon the batter into a 9x9 baking dish.

4. Bake for 35 minutes or until dark brown.

5. Enjoy! You can also store this in a sealed container in the refrigerator to eat anytime in the next five days.

1 onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, including the leaves, chopped

1 apple, cubed

cup mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 (1 pound) loaf day-old bread, torn into small pieces tossed in 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning OR 1 bag cubed herbed stuffing

1/2 cup wild rice, cooked

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Want to make this dairy or gluten-free? To make this dairy-free: substitute olive oil or coconut oil for the butter. For a gluten-free option: Cut your favorite gluten-free bread into small cubes, toss with a tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of poultry seasoning, and a teaspoon of dried parsley. Bake at 300˚ for about 20 minutes or until the cubes are golden brown. Now you’ve got homemade stuffing mix to use in this or any recipe!

Make ahead option– If you are anything like me, you will enjoy eating this even more the next day. These leftovers are great for about five days when kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

The Simple Steps...

1. Sauté the onion, celery, apple, and mushrooms in olive oil. Stir the salt and pepper into this sautéd mixture

2. In a small saucepan, stir the butter and broth together and heat thoroughly. 

3. In a large bowl, toss the bread with the broth mixture. Add cranberry, pecans, wild rice, and sautéd mix.

4. Toss again until all the bread is coated and wetted with the broth.

5. Place in a 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes or until the top is brown.

6. If you enjoy crispier stuffing, stir the stuffing half-way through the cooking to dry out the bread just a little.

2 pounds carrots of various colors

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Want to make this dairy or gluten-free?  This is already a gluten-free and dairy-free recipe!

Make ahead option– These carrots are just as delicious five days later as they are the day you make them.

The Simple Steps...

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.

2. Peel, wash, and cut the carrots.

• My Method: After peeling the carrots, cut them into four inch long pieces. If the pieces are thicker than 1/2 an inch, cut them in half length wise so that all the pieces are no thicker than about 1/2 inch.

3. Pour an inch of water into a medium pot and add the carrots. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Strain the carrots and place them into a 9x9 baking dish. Pour the oil and syrup over them. Then toss the carrots with the salt and pepper being sure that all the carrots are coated.

5. Bake at 350˚ for 15 minutes.

Date Pudding/Cupcake:

200 grams dates

1 1/3 cups water

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 cups (170 grams) white sugar

4 tablespoons (60 grams) softened butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups (170 grams) self-rise flour

Sticky Carmel Sauce:

1 cup (250 grams) heavy cream

1 cup (200 grams) brown sugar

9 tablespoons (130 grams) butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

thickened or whipped cream

Want to make this gluten-free? Use my favorite brand of baking powder- Clabber Girl Baking Powder- It’s gluten-free! Bob’s Red Mill has great gluten-free all-purpose flour to use instead of regular flour, but there are other gluten-free flours out there if your store doesn’t have Bob’s.

Make ahead option– The cake can last up to fa week in the fridge. Just pop one or two into the microwave for 20 seconds to reheat.

The Simple Steps...

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Butter and flour 20 muffin tins. By coating the tins with butter and flour, the cake is more likely to come out of the tins cleanly without sticking.

2. Place the dates in a small saucepan. Add the water, bring to a boil, and cook for about 5 minutes or until soft. Using a hand blender, pulverize this mixture. Stir the baking soda into mixture and cook for about one minute. Mixing the baking soda into the water and dates adds air to the mix, which makes the batter very light and fluffy.

3. In a separate bowl or using a blender, pulverize the sugar. Extra fine sugar makes for a smoother batter.

4. Add the softened butter to the sugar and mix or whisk until light and creamy. Whisk in one egg at a time making sure each is well blended. Stir in the vanilla.

5. Fold the flour and dates into the mixture until all the flour is incorporated. By folding the flour into the batter, you are keeping as much air in the batter as possible.

6. Fill the tins half-full with the batter.

7. Bake 18 minutes or until brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes. Then turn out onto a small dessert plate and top with sticky carmel sauce and cream.

Sticky Carmel Sauce:

1. Place the cream, sugar, and butter in a medium saucepan.

2. Simmer for five minutes until thickened.

3. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla.

4. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of sauce over each hot cake.

5. Top with a dollop of thickened or whipped cream.