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Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Oat Crust

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{“head_note”:”A simple pumpkin pie filling with a delectable nutty crust! This pie is lightly sweetened and doesn’t feel too heavy or give you a sugar crash after indulging. Prepare this pie the day before, so it has time to set in the fridge overnight. Crust is adapted from my Chilled Dark Chocolate Pie<\/a> and the filling is adapted from my Vegan Pumpkin Pie Squares with a Graham Cracker Crust<\/a>.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. For the crust: Preheat oven to 350\u2070F and lightly grease a 9-inch pie dish with coconut oil. Add pecans into a food processor and process until a fine crumb forms, the size of sand. Be sure not to process the pecans for too long, or the oil will release. Now add the coconut oil, maple syrup, salt, and oat flour and process again until the dough comes together. Finally, pulse in the rolled oats until the oats are finely chopped, but still have some texture to them. The dough should stick together when pressed between your fingers. If it doesn\u2019t, try processing for a bit longer.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. With your fingers, crumble the dough evenly over the base of the pie dish. Starting from the middle, press the mixture firmly and evenly into the dish, moving outward and upward along the side of the pie dish. The harder you press the crumbs into the dish, the more it will hold together. Poke 5-6 fork holes into the bottom to let the air escape.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Bake pie crust, uncovered, at 350\u2070F for 10-13 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove from oven and set aside to cool on a rack for at least 5 minutes.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. For the filling: In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk (or almond milk) with the arrowroot powder until smooth.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the pumpkin filling ingredients, including the arrowroot and cream\/milk mixture. If your pumpkin puree is firm and grainy – add this filling into a processor and whirl it until smooth. You might need to add a bit more cream\/milk if your pumpkin was really dense. Pour this filling into the baked crust and smooth out.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Bake the pie, uncovered, at 350\u00b0F for 37-45 minutes until the pie is semi-firm, but still a bit soft. Watch the crust and cover with tin foil if necessary. My crust was nice and golden at 40 minutes (when I took it out), but not burned.<\/li>\r\n \t
  7. Cool the pie for 2 hours on a cooling rack and then cover with foil and transfer to the fridge overnight to set.<\/li>\r\n \t
  8. Serve the pie straight from the fridge, with some coconut whipped cream<\/a>, if desired. Note that the pie will get quite soft at room temperature so I don’t suggest keeping it out for longer than 10 minutes at a time.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”
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    • To make the oat flour, add 1\/2 cup + 1\/3 cup rolled oats into a high speed blender. Blend on high until a fine flour forms.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Note that using the coconut cream will give the pie a light coconut flavour. Use almond milk as an alternative if desired.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>“}

Maple Cinnamon Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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{“head_note”:”Like little fluffy clouds of pure bliss, these maple cinnamon mashed sweet potatoes make a lovely addition to any holiday meal. It reminds me a bit of sweet potato casserole, only without the marshmallows. The prep is just 5-10 minutes, so it makes a quick, last minute side dish without much fuss at all. This batch will just barely serve 4 as a side. You could easily get away with increasing the potatoes to 3 instead of 2 (and adding more of the other ingredients as needed). No one ever complained of having too many sweet potato clouds, you know.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Add peeled and chopped potatoes into a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 5-8 minutes. Drain.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Add potatoes back into the pot and with a potato masher, mash in the vegan butter until smooth. Now add the rest of the ingredients to taste. Serve immediately.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”Note: Instead of vegan butter you can try using coconut oil, although I haven’t tried this yet. For a soy-free option, use soy-free vegan butter or coconut oil.”}

The Best Shredded Kale Salad

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{“head_note”:”Inspired by a kale salad my mom enjoyed at a restaurant called True Food Kitchen, I knew I had to make my own dairy-free version as soon as I was back in my kitchen. The key to this salad is finely chopping (or shredding) the kale. The lemon-garlic dressing will coat each and every tiny piece of kale, working its magical softening powers and infusing the shredded kale with so much flavour. I prefer to use Lacinato (or dinosaur) kale in this salad because it’s much more delicate than traditional curly kale and it has a milder flavour. Instead of cheese, I topped the salad with a toasted pecan \”Parmesan\” topping and a handful of dried sweetened cranberries. The result is one of the best kale salads I’ve tried to date and you’ll find yourself wanting to inhale the entire bowl. Two bunches of dinosaur kale might seem like a lot, but once it’s shredded, it only makes about 8 cups and then it further reduces in volume by almost half as it marinates. If you are making this salad for more than 4 people, I suggest doubling it.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Preheat the oven to 300\u00b0F (150\u00b0C). Spread the pecans onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Remove the stems from the kale and discard. (You can save them for smoothies if you are hardcore!) Finely chop the kale leaves (the smaller, the better).<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Wash the kale and spin dry. Place dried kale into a large bowl.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. For the dressing: In a mini food processor, process the garlic until minced. Now add the lemon, oil, salt, and pepper and process until combined. Adjust to taste, if desired. Pour the dressing onto the kale and mix it into the kale with your hands or toss with spoons. Keep mixing for about 1 minute to ensure everything is coated perfectly.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. For the Pecan Parmesan: Rinse out the mini processor and pat dry. Add the pecans into the processor and process until the pecans are the size of peas or a bit larger. Now add in the nutritional yeast, oil, and salt and process again until it has a coarse crumb texture. Be sure not to overprocess\u2014we still want a nice crunchy texture here, not powder.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Sprinkle the Pecan Parmesan all over the salad. Toss on a handful or two of dried cranberries. Wrap and place in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes to soften, or you can simply enjoy it right away. In the past, I’ve tried letting this salad sit overnight in the fridge and I greatly prefer the flavour of the salad served the day of, so I don’t recommend making this salad the day before and letting it sit in the fridge overnight.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”
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    • Instead of a mini processor, you can chop\/whisk the dressing and pecan \”Parmesan\” by hand.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • For a nut-free version, try using breadcrumbs instead of pecans.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>“}

Lentil Mushroom Walnut Balls with Cranberry-Pear Sauce

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{“head_note”:”These lentil mushroom balls are festive, filling, and a great vegan protein option for your holiday feast! I paired it with a lightly sweet cranberry-pear sauce, but if you aren’t a cranberry fan my vegan gravy<\/a> would be a nice option too. You can most likely prepare the lentil balls in advance. Just shape the balls and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for no longer than 12-24 hours, bring to room temperature, and then bake as usual (of course, remove plastic wrap first). The cranberry sauce can be made a couple days in advance as well. I don’t suggest skipping the sherry vinegar; it really makes this lentil mixture come to life and it pairs so well with the mushrooms. Lastly, it’s important to (very) finely chop all the vegetables and walnuts so everything sticks together.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Add lentils into a medium pot along with 2 and 1\/4 cups water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for about 20 minutes, uncovered, adding more water if the lentils dry out. Once the lentils are fork tender, remove from heat and mash with a potato masher until it’s a coarse paste with some lentil pieces still intact. Set aside.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325\u00b0F. Toast the chopped walnuts for 9-12 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. After toasting, increase oven temp to 350\u00b0F.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. In a very large skillet or wok, add the oil along with the finely chopped mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt. Saute over medium-high heat for about 7-9 minutes, until most of the water cooks off. Now add the kale, toasted walnuts, cranberries, herbs, and sherry vinegar. Stir until combined and continue cooking for another few minutes until the kale is wilted. Remove from heat and stir in the mashed lentils when ready.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the ground flax and water. Stir for 10 seconds and then immediately pour into the skillet mixture. Stir to combine. Now stir in the 1\/2 cup oat flour until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The mixture should be fairly moist and sticky. If it’s way too sticky, add a bit more oat flour. If it’s dry, add another tbsp of water.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape lentil mixture into balls and pack tightly with your hands so they hold together. Place on baking sheet an inch or so apart. Repeat for the rest. If the mixture is too hot to handle, let it cool for a bit first and then proceed.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Bake the lentil balls at 350\u00b0F for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, gently flip over, and bake for another 11-13 minutes, until golden and firm on the exterior.<\/li>\r\n \t
  7. For the sauce: Add the cranberries, pear, and maple syrup into a medium pot. Bring to a low boil over high heat and then reduce heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, for 10-20 minutes until thickened. Use a potato masher to mash up the pear.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”
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    • If your mixture seems dry (and this could be the case if the lentils are cooked too long), feel free to add a touch of water to moisten the mixture enough so it adheres.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • To make oat flour, add the rolled oats into a blender and blend on high until a flour forms. Alternatively, you can use 1\/2 cup oat flour if you already have some on hand.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>“}

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Squares with Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crust

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{“head_note”:”Easy to throw together, these pumpkin pie squares are a nice option when you don’t want to make a traditional pumpkin pie. The homemade graham cracker crust is so flavourful and holds together well. The filling is a vegan spin on traditional pumpkin pie filling, enriched with decadent coconut cream. Be sure to make this recipe the day before so it can set overnight in the fridge.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F and lightly grease an 8-inch square pan. Now, line the pan with two pieces of parchment paper, one going each way. I like to spray the first piece of parchment paper with non-stick oil so the second piece sticks nicely and doesn’t fall over.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Prepare the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham crumbs, melted coconut oil, and sweetener until the crumbs are thoroughly coated in the mixture. Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out evenly. Starting from the middle, press the crumbs into the pan firmly and evenly. You really want to press hard so the crust sticks together nicely. I use a pastry roller to roll the crust and compact it even more. Using your fingers, press in the edges until even.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Pre-bake the crust, uncovered, for 10 minutes at 350\u00b0F.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Prepare the filling: In a small bowl, whisk together the arrowroot powder and maple syrup until no clumps remain. Add this and all of the other filling ingredients into a food processor and process until completely smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. When the crust has come out of the oven, immediately pour this filling on top of the baked crust and smooth out as evenly as possible with a spatula.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Bake, uncovered, for around 41-43 minutes at 350\u00b0F until the filling has darkened slightly and it’s semi-firm to the touch (although the filling will still be very soft and sticky!). Place on a cooling rack for about 60 minutes and then into the fridge to set overnight, or for at least 8 hours. Freezer lover’s note: The freezer will expedite this process. Just sayin’.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Slice into squares and serve with a dollop of coconut whipped cream on top and a dusting of cinnamon and chopped pecans.<\/li>\r\n \t
  7. Store leftovers in the fridge or freeze for later.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”

Vegan and Gluten-Free Graham Crackers

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{“head_note”:”Crispy, authentic graham crackers made gluten-free and vegan! Now you can make them in the comfort of your own home. When rolling the dough, I suggest using a non-stick baking mat and a non-stick rolling pin, if you have them. It really makes rolling a breeze. If you don’t have those, not to worry; a floured counter and rolling pin will do just fine. I used gluten-free all-purpose flour to flour the mat and pin. It’s normal for the dough to crack slightly when rolling, so if this happens simply mend the crack with your fingers and forge on! Don’t worry about getting them perfect. When the crackers come out of the oven they will be a bit soft, but within 15 minutes on the cooling rack they will firm up into crispy delights! I know I’m going to get questions about a nut-free recipe, and I don’t have one to share yet, but I will try my best to come up with one. In the meantime, check out the\u00a0Vegan Graham Crackers<\/a> recipe from 2010 (you can sub the almond milk for a nut-free milk to make it nut-free).”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Add the buckwheat groats and rolled oats into a high-speed blender and blend on high until a fine flour forms.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir well with a spoon until it comes together and there are no dry patches of flour left.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Form the dough into 2-3 balls and place one at a time on a lightly floured non-stick mat. Lightly flour a rolling pin (if necessary) and begin rolling out the dough until you have a rectangle that is about 1\/8 inch thick. The dough will crack a bit, but this is totally normal.<\/li>\r\n \t
  7. Cut the crackers into the shapes of your choice using\u00a0 cookie cutters, a pizza slicer\/pastry slicer, or a knife to cut the shapes you want. I used a 2-inch square cutter with a beveled edge. Place each piece onto the baking sheet, leaving 1\/2-inch between each. Poke a few fork holes into each cracker. Repeat with the remaining dough.<\/li>\r\n \t
  8. Bake for 10 minutes and then remove from oven and carefully flip each cracker with a spatula. Rotate the pan and return to the oven for 6-7 minutes longer, until golden. Carefully, transfer crackers to a cooling rack for 15 minutes.<\/li>\r\n \t
  9. Store crackers in a glass jar or container on the counter or wrap up and freeze for later.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”

Italian Bean Balls and Spaghetti Squash Noodles

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{“head_note”:”Delightful Italian bean balls filled with basil, oregano, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes round out this fresh & light meal of spaghetti squash \”pasta\” and tomato sauce. I bake the bean balls for a good amount of time until golden and quite firm, so they stand up better to the tomato sauce. I suggest roasting the spaghetti squash in advance (and preparing tomato sauce in advance too, if making homemade<\/a>) and simply reheating it just before serving. I heat the tomato sauce in a pot and once it’s hot enough I gently fold in the bean balls to cover in the sauce and then serve it immediately. The bean balls will soften with time, so it’s best not to leave them in the sauce for too long. While they don’t taste like traditional meat balls, I can assure you these are a flavourful plant-based option with a great texture! Feel free to shape the mixture into burger patties, if that floats your boat. This recipe is adapted from my Thai Sweet Potato Burgers<\/a>.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Toast the walnuts for 7-9 minutes until fragrant and golden.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Meanwhile, add the oats into the food processor and process until finely chopped. You want the texture to be like a coarse flour.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Add the grated carrot, chopped parsley, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, walnuts, and oat flour into a large bowl. Stir to combine.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Add the drained and rinsed beans into the food processor and process until finely chopped. You want the mixture to be a coarse paste with some beans still intact, but don’t completely puree the mixture. Stir the processed beans into the bowl with the vegetables and oat flour.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. In a mug, whisk together the ground flax and water. Let it sit for only 15-20 seconds, any longer and it will get too thick. Stir into the vegetable bean mixture until fully combined.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Stir the oil, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using) into the bowl, adjusting amounts to taste if necessary.<\/li>\r\n \t
  7. Shape the mixture into 18-20 balls (the size of golf-balls), packing each ball tightly between your hands so it holds together well. Place each ball onto the prepared baking sheet an inch or two apart.<\/li>\r\n \t
  8. Bake for 20 minutes, then gently flip the balls and and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden on both sides.<\/li>\r\n \t
  9. After baking, place balls on a cooling rack for 10 minutes to cool slightly.<\/li>\r\n \t
  10. Serve with spaghetti squash or pasta and tomato sauce (either homemade or store-bought). I also sprinkled some of my vegan Parmesan<\/a> on top.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”

Thai Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers

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{“head_note”:”Bursting with flavour, these Thai-inspired veggie burgers will make your every dream come true! The patties are made with a base of shredded sweet potato and chickpeas and are flavoured with fresh garlic, ginger, cilantro, basil, and a sprinkle of lime juice and sesame seed oil. To add some delicious crunchy texture, I’ve mixed in some chopped roasted and salted peanuts into the mix. These burgers are naturally gluten-free and you can make them soy-free by using coconut aminos instead of the tamari (or simply omit the tamari all together). See my note below on making this recipe nut-free. Peanut sauce is adapted from my Almond Butter Sauce<\/a>.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Peel the sweet potato. Using a box grater with the regular-sized grate holes, grate 1.5 cups of sweet potato. Place in large bowl. I had about 1\/2 of the sweet potato leftover, so I sliced it into 1-cm rounds and placed it on the baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and toss to coat.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. In a large bowl, stir together the grated sweet potato, cilantro, basil, garlic, ginger, and chopped peanuts.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. In a food processor, add the oats and process until finely chopped. You want the texture to be like a coarse flour. Stir the oat flour into the bowl with the vegetables.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Now add the drained chickpeas into the processor and process until finely chopped. You want the mixture to be a cross between a coarse paste and finely chopped chickpeas, but don’t completely puree the chickpeas. Stir the processed chickpeas into the bowl with the vegetables and oat flour.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. In a mug, whisk together the ground flax and water. Let it sit for only 20 seconds or so, any longer and it will get too thick. Stir this flax egg into the vegetable chickpea mixture until fully combined.<\/li>\r\n \t
  7. Stir in the sesame oil, tamari, lime juice, coriander, salt, and pepper all to taste.<\/li>\r\n \t
  8. Shape the mixture into 6-8 patties, packing each patty tightly between your hands so it holds together well. Place each patty onto the prepared baking sheet along with the sweet potato rounds.<\/li>\r\n \t
  9. Bake for 20 minutes, then gently flip the patties and potato rounds and bake for another 15-17 minutes until golden on both sides. You might have to remove the sweet potato a bit early – just keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.<\/li>\r\n \t
  10. While the burgers are baking, prepare the peanut sauce. Add all sauce ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Adjust ingredients to taste if desired. The sauce will thicken up as it sits.<\/li>\r\n \t
  11. After baking, place patties on a cooling rack for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Serve with toasted buns (or lettuce or whole grain wraps), tomato slices, roasted sweet potato, lettuce, and the peanut sauce.<\/li>\r\n \t
  12. The peanut sauce will store in the fridge for at least a week. The burgers can be frozen (after baking and cooling) for a couple weeks.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”
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    • To make the burgers soy-free, use coconut aminos in place of the tamari or simply omit it all together.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • To make this recipe nut-free, omit the peanuts in the burgers and use sunflower seeds instead. For the peanut sauce, you can probably use sunflower seed butter instead of the peanut butter, but you will likely have to adjust the other ingredients to taste since its more bitter than peanut butter.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>“}

3-Layer Almond Coconut Chocolate Bars

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{“head_note”:”These bars are bursting with three of my favourite flavours\u00a0\u2013 almond, coconut, and chocolate! How could you go wrong? A soft and nutty\u00a0toasted almond-oat crust forms the base. If you\u2019ve made my Chilled Chocolate Pie<\/a>, you can probably attest to how good this press-in\u00a0crust is! The middle layer is made up of a no-bake\u00a0almond butter \u201cfudge\u201d enhanced with rice crisp cereal for a wicked crispy texture. The bars are topped with a dark chocolate \u201cmacaroon\u201d coating and garnished with big flakes of toasted coconut. I know.<\/em>“,”instructions”:”

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  1. Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F and line an 8-inch square pan with two pieces of parchment paper, one going each way.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. For the crust: Add the almonds into a food processor and process until a fine meal forms, just larger than sand. Now add the oat flour, oil, syrup, and salt and process until combined and sticky. Finally, add the cup of rolled oats and process until the oats are chopped and the dough comes together, but the oats still have a bit of texture to them. The dough should stick together when pressed between your fingers. Crumble the dough evenly in the prepared pan. Press the dough into the pan evenly, wetting fingers if necessary to prevent sticking. Smooth out the dough with a pastry roller and use your fingertips to press in the edges until even.\u00a0 Poke a few holes with a fork to let air escape. Bake, uncovered, for around 13 minutes. Place pan on cooling rack for at least 10 minutes.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. For the middle layer: In a medium saucepan, stir the almond butter, oil, syrup, vanilla, and salt and heat over medium until the coconut oil is melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk if necessary. Remove from heat. When the crust has cooled for 10 minutes or so, stir the rice crisp cereal into the almond butter mixture and pour this mixture on top of the crust. Smooth out and place in the freezer on a flat surface for 40-45 minutes, until the middle layer is completely solid. While the mixture freezes, toast the large coconut flakes (see note below). After the middle layer is frozen, remove from freezer and lift out the bar. Slice into 6 rows vertically and then slice 3 rows horizontally to make 18 small bars. Place bars in the freezer once again while you prepare the chocolate topping.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. For the chocolate topping: In a saucepan, melt the chocolate and coconut oil over low-medium heat. When half the chips have melted, remove from heat and stir until completely smooth. Stir in the shredded coconut. Remove bars from the freezer and spoon a small amount of chocolate on top of each bar. Immediately, sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes. Return the bars to the freezer until the chocolate is set. Serve immediately (bars will melt quickly, so I wouldn’t suggest keeping them out too long). Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”1) To make 1\/2 cup oat flour, add 1\/2 cup rolled oats into a high-speed blender and blend on high until a flour forms. 2) To toast the large coconut flakes, spread onto a baking sheet and toast at 350F for only 3-4 minutes, until golden and fragrant. After cooling, I crumbled the flakes up into smaller pieces for easier sprinkling. 3) For a fun twist, try making these bars using my homemade Nutella<\/a> instead of almond butter!”}

Smoky Butternut Squash Sauce with Pasta and Greens

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{“head_note”:”This recipe is adapted from my Butternut Squash Mac and Cheeze recipe<\/a> from 2011. While the former version is a huge hit on the blog, some of you didn’t like how sweet the sauce is. I’ve been playing around with this recipe every time I make it. This version I’m sharing today is still quite sweet thanks to the butternut squash and cashews, but I’ve tried to balance it out better with some smoky seasonings like liquid smoke, chili powder, smoked paprika, and some hot sauce for a kick and more depth of flavour. It’s a big hit in this house. Feel free to adjust the various seasonings to taste. This sauce is also great heated up and poured over roasted vegetables and brown rice. Use it any way you see fit! I think you’ll be surprised by how creamy and satisfying it is all without a lick of butter or oil.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Add cashews in a small bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight or for at least 3-4 hours, until soft and plump. Drain and rinse before use.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Preheat oven to 425\u00b0F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. See note about prepping squash below. Spread out chopped squash on sheet and drizzle with oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for 30-40 minutes, flipping once half way through baking, until squash is fork tender. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Add the soaked and drained cashews, water, garlic, nutritional yeast (if using), lemon juice, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, and 2 cups of cooked squash into a high speed blender. Blend on high until smooth. Now add the salt, liquid smoke, and hot sauce to taste and blend again.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Cook pasta according to package directions. If using broccoli, kale, or other vegetables, roast or saut\u00e9 those too.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Add the drained pasta back into the pot. Pour on your desired amount of sauce and stir to combine. Stir in the cooked vegetables, if using. Cook over medium until heated throughout and serve immediately.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Leftover sauce can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 1 week or so in the fridge. It’s great poured on roasted vegetables too!<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”Time saver: You can also simply slice the squash in half, remove seeds, and roast the two halves rather than chopping the squash up. The butternut squash sauce makes 2.75 cups.”}