Lori, Author at Fake Food Free

Honey Butter Whipped Sweet Potatoes

November 11, 2016

My Thanksgiving preferences typically go in this order of importance –

√ Pumpkin pie (specifically my grandmother’s recipe)
√ Stuffing
√ Sweet potatoes
√ Brussels sprouts (yes, a vegetable!)

You can really just leave turkey off my list entirely. I’d rather dip into my calorie and carb savings account for the four options above.

I don’t have time this November to do a full Thanksgiving post series like my Thanksgiving Cooking for Two last year, but I can’t let the season slip by without sharing a few menu options. Specifically this one from my top four categories of Thanksgiving foods.

Four Favorites October

November 10, 2016

I’m running a little late with my four favorites from October, but there were too many great things I enjoyed to skip over this monthly tradition. I restocked one of my favorite balsamic vinegars, read one of my favorite types of books, had a little time to be inspired by entertaining and design blogs, and spent some quality time with elephant seals over my birthday weekend.

Stuffed Pie Pumpkin with Turkey, Cheddar and Spinach

November 8, 2016

I have pumpkins hidden all over the house.

You might think I’m kidding, I assure you, I am not.

There are little decorative pumpkins hidden on the new shelves in our living room, a pie pumpkin on the desk in my office, and heirlooms on the front porch. I tend to be a minimalist in most areas of my life, but pumpkin collection is one thing that I take almost to hoarding levels.

Of course, I have to rotate the stash occasionally. Out with the old and in with some new. And by out with the old I mean it’s time for them to be transformed into something edible. This little pie pumpkin was tucked on the second shelf of the plant stand in the dining room and it was his time to go.

Acorn Squash Risotto and Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

October 31, 2016

It’s the end of October which means my meals have become fully committed to all things fall. Currently, that means Brussels sprouts and winter squash. I’ve even gone so far as to plant a few Brussels sprouts in the garden in hopes that I can keep the trend going throughout the winter.

We went to a pumpkin farm last weekend and the walk up to the outdoor checkout was lined with $1 and $2 heirloom acorn squash, butternut squash and pie pumpkins. It was my version of the king size packs of M&Ms on sale as you wait to check out at the supermarket. The wagon was full of orange and green speckled culinary squash by the time it was my turn to pay. No self control.

This is one of the recipes I put together recently that incorporates both of my fall favorites. I hadn’t made risotto in forever and I love it with winter squash mixed in. I often incorporate cheddar into it, but this time I skipped that. Instead, I paired it with shredded brussels sprouts and crispy bites of bacon.

Spinach and Chickpeas in Coconut Curry Sauce

October 20, 2016

I completely understand the argument that some people don’t like to cook. Not everyone enjoys being the in the kitchen like I do.

The same goes for feeling too tired to cook. Even those of us who love it have days when we would give anything if someone would just bring us our meal already prepared.

But when I start hearing about having no time to cook, that’s when I start timing my food prep and preparing a defense.

This meal here is the kind of thing that I throw together on a regular basis for lunch. It’s the kind of recipe I don’t often post on the blog, because while delicious, it doesn’t have a wow or originality factor.

Coming Soon. My Cookbook!

October 13, 2016

If you follow me on social media, you already know what I’m about to tell you.

Now that I look at it, if you read the title of this post, you already know what I’m about to tell you.

Considering that today is my birthday and days like this are meant to be celebrated, I thought I would do so by officially spilling the news.

Fall Salad with Butternut Squash and Apple Cider Vinaigrette

October 11, 2016

I totally cheated.

I was walking through the supermarket and it was about 11:15. Lunchtime was quickly creeping up on me, but I knew that I’d have to dive back into recipe work for clients the second I got back home.

I needed something quick to make, but I couldn’t get my mind off the piles of winter squash all around me in the produce section.

I wanted roasted squash. On a salad. With other fall-like things.

So I went over to that little section with all the pre-cut veggies. And there it was. Little cubes of butternut squash ready to pop in the oven.

October Snapshots

October 7, 2016

Do you ever have those days when you are convinced that no one gets you?

I do. And they’ve been happening a lot more frequently.

But it’s okay. I do it to myself. I’m a nerd in the true sense of the word when it comes to food, fall and farms. I think this is why social media was invented. Way, way back in the day, there was someone sitting around who felt like no one got them. So they decided to find a way to surround themselves with people around the world who did.

That has to be factual, right? I’m sure it’s documented somewhere.

For example, just the other day I came across the largest, most gorgeous persimmon tree I’d ever seen. It was full of fruit and towered around me in every direction. It had to be years and years old. It was next to a store and when I checked out, I gushed to the cashier about how beautiful the tree was.

She looked at me like I was an alien.

Nope, didn’t get me.

Cauliflower Rice with Basil-Spinach Pesto and Chickpeas

October 5, 2016

In this recipe, cauliflower rice is tossed with a spinach and basil pesto and chickpeas. It makes an easy light meal or side dish for anyone at the table because it also happens to be vegan and gluten free.

I usually post things on Instagram the day I make and shoot them with a note about when they will be live on the blog. Call me old fashioned, but I’m just one of those diehards who still believes in preserving the real-time aspect of social media. Especially those platforms that have a portion of the word instant in their names.

I typically get a few comments from people who can’t wait to see it, but none quite like this recipe. After posting this cauliflower rice, I not only got comments on Instagram, but also follow up on other social sites about when the recipe would be live.

I think there is some unspoken rule that says your simplest recipes, the ones you just kind of throw together on a whim, are the ones that garner the most attention.

That is definitely the case here.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Wheat Berry Salad with Tahini Dressing

October 3, 2016

Brussels sprouts are a year round food for me, but the frequency that they appear in my meals picks up when fall rolls around. I’ve already stocked the fridge twice with them in the past two weeks. They are a clear favorite in the vegetable category right now. In the grain category, wheat berries are holding their spot at number one. I can’t get enough of a simple wheat berry salad.

I’ve never served the two together so when I was tossing around ideas for a fall salad, I decided they would probably go pretty well together, especially with a nutty tahini dressing.