Thanksgiving Puploaf Recipe

I enjoy cooking for my dog for special occasions. I particularly like making something special on Thanksgiving so he has his own dog-friendly dinner. Turkey meatloaf is a great option since it can be made into fun shapes. I've made a drumstick in the past, and this year, I tried making a tiny turkey. I was so pleased that the little legs stayed on and I think it turned out cute!

Thanksgiving Doggie Dinner: Turkey-shaped meatloaf w/ gravy, blanched green beans, baked butternut squash

I like to use Tuscan kale (a.k.a. dinosaur or Lacinato kale). The leaves don't have curly edges so they won't stick out of the meatloaves like curly kale can. Plus, kale has great nutritional benefits.

Adding turmeric also provides many health benefits such as anti-inflammatory, detox, and many other properties.

While I made this for Thanksgiving, this recipe is good for other special occasions and holidays or even year-round. And you can play around with the ingredients to change up the herbs & veggies that are dog-safe.

Thanksgiving Puploaf Recipe

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 30 to 40 mins
Total time: 40 to 50 mins
Yield: 4 loaves

Always check with your vet about which foods are appropriate for your pet and any pre-existing condition, medication, or planned surgery affecting your pet.

This recipe does NOT contain all the nutrients necessary for complete nutritional health and is NOT intended as a dog's regular diet. This recipe is for special occasions. 

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup Tuscan kale, stemmed & finely chopped
1 small carrot, shredded
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 sprig of sage, stemmed & chopped
2 sprigs of rosemary, stemmed & finely chopped
2 tablespoons parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
1 or 2 large eggs, beaten
2 tsp. ground turmeric

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook quinoa according to package instructions but do NOT add salt since this is for dogs. Make enough to yield 1/2 cup cooked quinoa. (Use any extra quinoa as a mix-in with your dog's regular food.) Allow the quinoa to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, cooked quinoa, kale, carrot, celery, parsley, sage, rosemary, cheese, 1 beaten egg, and turmeric. Mix lightly with a fork. Don't mash or the meatloaf will end up dense. If the mixture isn't holding together, add another beaten egg.

Divide the mixture and form into 4 small loaves. You can make larger loaves depending on the size & normal feeding portion for your dog. Place loaves on a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F and the meatloaves are cooked through. (Larger loaves will take longer to cook.) Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Refrigerate or freeze any leftover meatloaves.

NOTE: This recipe can be made as meatballs instead by forming 1-inch balls and baking in 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Twice-Baked Butternut Squash with Parmesan Cream and Candied Bacon

I made this Epicurious recipe for Thanksgiving and I think this is going on the menu every year. The candied bacon hazelnut bits are EVERYTHING! You'll want to put it on other things too.

I usually shy away from recipes with multiple components and techniques, especially for Thanksgiving. Some of the techniques I've never attempted before at home...also not a good idea for Thanksgiving. But, this recipe just appealed to me and it's the holidays after all.

The dish wouldn't be the same without the candied bacon-hazelnut. Unless you hate hazelnuts, I wouldn't substitute with another nut. Hazelnuts are what make the candied bits delicious.

Melting sugar from this...

to this.

Cooled candied bacon-hazelnut

All of my squashes were done roasting within 40-60 min, so check on them periodically so they don't get too soft. It's important for the large squash to keep its shape especially after you scoop out the flesh to make shells. You can see where one half of my large squash cracked/split

Also, my large squash gave up a good amount of liquid. This made my filling a little too wet and it leaked around the edges of the shells. So, start with less cream when mixing the filling and add more cream as needed depending on how much liquid your squashes have.

Combining filling ingredients (excluding chives)

Mixed filling with chives

I used Parmigiano-Reggiano which has strong flavor. But another type of Parmesan can save a bit of money.

Ready for a second bake

The only issue I had was with the whipped cream. I made the cream & cheese mixture the day before and chilled overnight so I could save time on Thanksgiving. The mixture was thick when I took it out on Thanksgiving to whip. It quickly overwhipped at medium-high speed and I didn't have any heavy cream left to try to save it. I didn't want to waste it, so I used it as a "butter" topping and dotted pieces of it on the tops with the bacon & hazelnuts.

Whipped cream mixture after overnight refrigeration

This is an indulgent dish with all the cream and cheese but great for dinner parties, holidays or special occasions. There aren't any special ingredients but it looks impressive!

My Rating (out of 5): 5

Twice-Baked Butternut Squash with Parmesan Cream and Candied Bacon
Source: Epicurious

Yield: Serves 6-8
Active time: 45 mins
Total time: 2 hours, 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1 large (about 5 pounds) and 1 medium (about 3 1/2 pounds) butternut squash
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan (about 3 ounces), divided
• 3 strips bacon (about 3 ounces)
• 4 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped hazelnuts
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons chopped chives, divided

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut both squash in half lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Transfer cut side down to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Poke outside of skin all over with a fork, then roast until flesh is very soft, about 1 1/2 hours for large squash and about 1 hour for medium squash.

Meanwhile, heat 1 cup cream in a medium pot over medium until just beginning to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk in 1/4 cup cheese and cook, whisking, until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a medium bowl and chill until very cold, about 45 minutes (do not freeze).

Cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels, reserving bacon fat in skillet. Let cool, then finely chop.

Spread 3 Tbsp. sugar in a thin layer in the center of a medium dry skillet. Cook over medium heat, mostly undisturbed (it's ok to swirl pan gently to get sugar to melt evenly), until sugar melts and starts to turn light brown, about 6 minutes. Quickly stir in bacon and hazelnuts and cook, stirring, until coated and melted sugar is chestnut brown, about 1 minute more. Scrape onto a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and spread out to cool, then finely chop.

Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Using a spoon, scoop flesh out of large squash into a large bowl, leaving a 1/2" border around squash shell to help maintain its shape. Transfer large shells to a rimmed baking sheet; arrange a few pieces of crumpled foil around shells to keep them upright. Scoop flesh out of medium shells into same bowl (you should have 6 cups squash); discard medium shells. Using a potato masher or spatula, mix in salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1 Tbsp. reserved bacon fat, and remaining 1 cup cream, 3/4 cup cheese, and 1 Tbsp. sugar until smooth. Fold in 2 Tbsp. chives. Divide filling between large squash shells, then create attractive swoops with a spoon. Bake squash until warmed through, 20–30 minutes.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed or a whisk, whip chilled cream to medium peaks. Chill until ready to use.

Dollop squash with whipped cream, then top with candied bacon bits and remaining 1 Tbsp. chives. Serve extra candied hazelnut-bacon bits on the side.

Do Ahead
Squash shells can be filled (not baked) 2 days ahead; cover and chill.

Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Green bean casserole is a staple for my Thanksgiving table. Growing up, my family made this using a recipe from the side of a can of Durkee (now French's) fried onions that included canned cream of mushroom soup and canned green beans. To make it fancy, we'd use canned French-cut green beans. The beans were a bit mushy, but I loved it and never made it any other way.

When I was planning for Thanksgiving a few years ago, I came across a green bean casserole recipe that made all the components from scratch. I hadn't planned on using a new recipe but decided to try it. While I didn't do everything from scratch, it was delicious and pretty easy. I've been making it from fresh ingredients since (except the fried onions).

I still like to use store bought fried onions because I really don't like frying. I use French's Crispy Fried Onions (original flavor) or Trader Joe's Gourmet Fried Onion Pieces. I was told by a Trader Joe's employee once that this item is seasonal and they have it in the fall around Thanksgiving. But I can always find French's at the grocery store year round.

I also prefer using haricot verts because they are more tender, thin, and less stringy, but of course regular green beans can be used.

While I'm nostalgic about the recipe from my childhood, this recipe is now my go to for this casserole. Having just made this for this year's Thanksgiving, I decided to write up the recipe.

Green Been Casserole Recipe

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Total time: 50 mins
Yield: 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 pound fresh haricot verts, trimmed and halved
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 package of cremini mushrooms (10 or 12 oz.), cleaned and thickly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken broth or stock
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 1/3 cup store-bought fried onions, divided in half

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 2 tablespoons of salt while you prepare the other ingredients.

Blanch the haricot verts for 2-3 minutes until crisp tender. Drain and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again and set aside.

Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start to give up some liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, stir to combine, and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute while whisking to smooth out lumps. Add the half-and-half and cook until the mixture thickens, whisking if there are still lumps, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the haricot verts and 2/3 cup of fried onions. Transfer mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with the remaining 2/3 cup of fried onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Make ahead tip: Cook the green beans and mushroom sauce. Mix the beans in the sauce but do not mix in the fried onions yet. Transfer to a baking dish and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, set the dish out on the counter for about 20 minutes to let it come to room temperature. If the mixture seems thick, add a little chicken stock or half-and-half to loosen the sauce. Mix in 2/3 cup of fried onions, top with the remaining onions, and bake.

Maple Candied Bacon

I decided to make some maple glazed bacon on a whim yesterday and didn't want to spend much time finding a recipe. I was hungry. This candied bacon recipe from The Chew caught my eye because it uses dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar for added flavor on top of brown sugar and maple syrup.

I only had a few slices of applewood smoked bacon (about 1/4 lb.), so I cut the ingredients down proportionately.

Ready for the oven

The bacon takes longer to cook because of the glaze. I only basted twice after 15 and 20 minutes and let them finish baking at 350° F for 30 minutes.

After 15 minutes

The bacon was cooked and crispy after 30 minutes, but still had a little bend after cooling completely. This is perfectly fine if served flat or chopped up.

After 30 minutes

But, I wanted these to be extra crispy so they can stand up in a glass or jar. I stuck them back in the oven for a few more minutes, so total cooking time ended up between 30-35 minutes.

I think this could bake at a higher temperature, like 400°, for a shorter time as long as you check them frequently to make sure the sugars and bacon aren't burning. These can go from crispy to burnt quickly.

Tip: If some bacon slices are thinner than others, take those out of the oven sooner so they don't burn before thicker slices are done.

You can make candied bacon with just brown sugar and maple syrup. But if a few more ingredients will add more flavor, why not use 'em? The dijon mustard becomes more subtle in flavor after the bacon cooks so it's like a secret ingredient. I used a tiny amount of cayenne pepper and didn't get any heat so I would definitely use more in the future.

My Rating (out of 5): 3.5

Classic Moules in White Wine Sauce

I was inspired to make moules (i.e. mussels) at home after seeing a Geoffrey Zakarian recipe on The Kitchen. Mussels always seem like an impressive dish at restaurants and it's amazing that they are so easy, fast, and cheap to make at home. A 2 lb. bag of mussels is $7 or less, depending on where you live.

While the recipe is for moules frites, it doesn't include steps for making fries and just says to serve with fries. So, I've just made the mussels, sans frites, and serve with crusty bread instead. This sauce is SO tasty that you'll want to mop it all up with bread anyway.

This dish cooks ridiculously fast. The prep time takes longer than it does to cook it. On the show, they mention letting the mussels sit in a bowl of cold water twice before cooking, but this is not included in the prep time of the recipe on the site. I let them sit in cold water for about 30 minutes to let them release any sand. But, I don't repeat because I don't have the patience.

Check the mussels for any that are cracked or open and won't close after giving them a tap. These mussels are dead and should be discarded. Remove any fuzzy beards from the live mussels.

It's best to have all the prep done and ingredients measured out first. Once you start cooking, it's very quick so having everything ready to go makes life much easier.

Here's how things looked once I got cooking:

Softening shallots & garlic

Added white wine, salt, & pepper

Add cleaned mussels & cover

After 3 minutes

If there are any mussels that didn't open during cooking, throw those out as well because those aren't good either. Luckily, they all opened this time!

If I don't have creme fraîche, I've substituted with some heavy cream in the sauce. Here, I used creme fraîche.

I really like how the whole grain mustard adds just a bit of tang to the sauce and another depth of flavor.

As a main dish, this is really 2 servings. As an appetizer, it could work for 4. And don't forget the crusty bread!

My Rating (out of 5): 5

Sausage, Kale, and Lentil Soup

I came across this soup recipe by Rachel Ray a few years ago and I've been making it on a regular basis since. It's hearty, delicious, and has nutritious ingredients like kale and lentils. It's great for bringing to work for lunch, filling as a meal on its own, and comforting in chilly weather.

Sausage, kale, and lentil soup with sweet potato

Each time I make this, I make some tweaks if an ingredient is not available at the grocery store. I've used sweet Italian sausage and added crushed red pepper flakes if hot Italian sausage was out at the store. If I can't find Fresno peppers, I'll use a different red chili pepper that is available or crushed red pepper flakes. I've used curly kale if Tuscan kale was not available.

Sweet Italian sausage

I've always made this with a Russet potato. But since it's fall, I decided to change it up a bit and used sweet potato instead which has more nutritious benefits. So the pictures I've shared here will have sweet potato in them. 

I often buy pre-chopped packages of kale, which probably has more in quantity than a bunch of kale does. I use the entire bag in the soup. Pre-chopped bags usually have the stem intact, and I don't bother to remove them for this recipe since it's time consuming. And this is a soup, so the stems get soft while it cooks. But if I buy a bunch of kale, I'll remove the stems in those instances.

Tomato paste and white wine really add flavor to the soup so I would not suggest omitting or substituting these ingredients.

The one difference from the recipe that I make is the amount of lentils. I use 1 to 1-1/4 cups of lentils instead of 1-3/4 cups that the recipe lists. I think that amount of uncooked lentils would soak up too much liquid and I wonder if it is typo in the published recipe.

I like to use red lentils

This is a chunky soup. So I like to reserve 1 cup of chicken stock and wait to add it in the last 5 minutes that the soup simmers. This way the soup has some liquid in case it reduced too much while it simmered.

Leftovers are just as delicious and I never get tired of eating this soup!

My Rating (out of 5): 4.5

Concord Grape Muffins

Having tasted my first Concord grape in it's original form, I was so excited to make something with them. Although a web search for recipes turned out lackluster, I did find a muffin recipe from the In Jennie's Kitchen blog that was unfussy and simple enough.

I decided to prep the Concord grapes and dry ingredients the night before. Halving and deseeding 2 cups of grapes took me more than 15 minutes since I've never worked with Concords before. It's a tedious process. To use the grapes whole, you have to remove the seeds but I was a little bummed that some of their yummy juice gets lost in the process. The seeds are set in the flesh of the grape and I couldn't just flick them out with the tip of a paring knife. I found that tracing around the seeds with the knife tip removed the seeds while keeping the flesh somewhat intact. A sharp paring knife helps with cutting out the seed. And because the skins slip off easily, I had quite a few that separated from the flesh while trying to deseed them. I ended up eating those but had to deseed more grapes to replace them. In the future, I wouldn't worry about the skins coming off since they are going into a muffin batter.

One cup halved & deseeded, one to go

This morning, I combined the dry ingredients that I measured last night and mixed in the butter using my fingers. (I don't have a pastry cutter/blender.) I incorporated the whole milk using a wooden spoon as specified in the recipe. The batter at this point was thick.

 

The recipe specifically called for using a wooden spoon to mix in the milk, but I'm not really sure why it had to be a wooden spoon. After the milk, you fold in the Concord grapes. Because the skins come off easily and I didn't want to smash the grapes, I didn't find a wooden spoon as the best option. So I used a silicone spatula to fold in the grapes. And that left another utensil to clean up, so I'd pass on the wooden spoon altogether and just use a spatula.

I used an ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the batter into my silicone baking cups as best as possible. I sprinkled the tops with turbinado/raw sugar and would use more next time because I want the tops to have more crunch.

It took a little more time than the recipe states for my muffins to bake until a toothpick came out clean, about 22 minutes total.

The texture of the muffin was more on the gluey side as I ate the muffins and I would have liked it to be more crumbly. But the amount of Concord grapes in this recipe ensures you get that grape flavor in every bite. These are lightly sweet, which I like, but a little more sugar in the batter would be okay if you prefer more sweetness. Be prepared for your mouth and fingers to turn purple! 

Overall, I like baking with whole Concord grapes but may try a cake or different muffin batter recipe next time. 

My Rating (out of 5): 3.5

Firsts: Concord Grapes

Today, I tasted my first Concord grape in its natural form! And it tastes just like the ubiquitous grape-y flavor found in so many purple grape-flavored products (juice, jelly, candy, cough syrup, etc.). The flavor is not as concentrated in a fresh grape as those products, but it is very recognizable. I knew Concord grapes are used in products like Welch's or Kedem grape juices, but never had a fresh Concord grape. So to taste that flavor from the natural source is exciting.

The grapes are marble-sized and have a thicker skin than typical red and green varieties often sold in stores. The skin slips off easily and the meat/flesh of the grape has a jelly-like texture. It reminds me of eating muscadines. Concords do have seeds so be careful not to chomp down on them (bitter, blech).

Because Concords are not available year-round, I never paid attention to when they're in season or shopped for them before...until this past May when I tried a cake recipe from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook that included a Concord grape coulis. I looked up seasonal availability and quickly learned they weren't available until fall. (Don't worry, I still made the cake and used blueberries that were in abundance.) Since then, I put Concord grapes on my mental food watch list to try when they came into season.

A couple of weeks ago, I spotted some at the Union Square Greenmarket but they were pricey. I searched for them at a few grocery stores that I regularly visit but had no luck finding them. So when I saw them again at Union Square, I sucked it up and grabbed a basket so I didn't miss out on the season. $8 for a quart (no idea how much it weighs). Boy do their sweet juices bring all the bees to the stand. I tapped my basket to try to rid any bees hiding in the grapes. Luckily, none flew out on the way home and fingers crossed I don't find one buried in there later.

I want to try a new recipe but had zero ideas of what to make with Concords. Unfortunately, not many recipes came up in my search that appealed to me. Plenty of jam recipes came up on Google but I'm just not into canning. Another popular recipe is Smitten Kitchen's Grape Focaccia with Rosemary or similar variations of it. I'd love to try it but just not feeling up to making my own bread. 

Well, I decided to try a muffin recipe from In Jennie's Kitchen blog. See more on that here.

Apple Pie Zoats Recipe

I didn't peel the zucchini this time and I could see bits of skin in the dish, which was okay with me. But I think leaving the skin on kept some of the shredded bits from softening as much as skinless shreds did. It still cooked down, but I think I like the texture better when it's peeled. I also left the skin on the apple and didn't notice it in the dish. I didn't use egg whites but added chia seeds for a little extra protein.

Apple Pie Zoats Recipe

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10-15 mins
Total time: 15-20 mins
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup uncooked old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 zucchini, peeled and grated 
• 1/2 gala apple (or any sweet red apple), grated
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 Tablespoon chia seeds
• 1/2 cup milk (or plant-based milk)
• Sugar or sugar substitute (I used Splenda)
• 1/2 gala apple, diced 
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions
Add oats, grated zucchini, grated apple, water, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and Chia seeds to a medium saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil. Then lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, or until oats and zucchini are cooked through. Remove from heat and let sit for a couple of minutes.

Stir in milk to thin the zoats to your desired consistency. Adjust sweetness to your taste with sugar or sugar substitute.  Serve immediately in bowls and top with diced apples and sliced almonds.

Zoats: What the Heck Is That?

I came across an Instagram post of oatmeal and noticed the hashtag "zoats." I was curious and thought it might be some product brand the Instagrammer used. But, I learned from a quick Google search that zoats are oatmeal with zucchini (or zucchini oats). My initial reaction was "ugh, not another frivolous trend." I'm all for culinary innovation but the current food culture is overloaded with people trying to come up with pointless hacks or portmanteaus just for the sake of wow factor and social media likes.

I once saw an Instagram video in which someone used a pin to score small cuts through an unpeeled banana only to peel it and use their other hand to break off pieces at the scored marks and eat them. Not only was this so-called hack useless and unhelpful, but your hand gets dirty. No thanks, I'll just take bites of a banana like a normal person and keep my hands clean. But I digress...

So, why should anyone eat zoats? Can't we just eat them separately? Luckily, I didn't have to look too hard because Google turned up a few articles that quickly explained some benefits. Zucchini are low-calorie and packed with fiber and potassium (more than a banana). And mixing it with oatmeal helps provide fiber while reducing some calories and carbs.

Ok, that gives me enough of a reason to try zoats. A basic zoats recipe has oats, grated zucchini, and egg whites. But if I was going to try this latest food trend, I wanted to go with a fun-flavored version. After getting inspiration from some recipes, I made this carrot cake inspired version (which excludes eggs).

I had to buy zucchini but the rest of the ingredients were based on what I already had in my kitchen. There are plenty of options to use different milks or sweeteners.

The zoats turned out pretty good and it's key to grate the zucchini so it blends into the oatmeal. The texture was very similar to regular oatmeal. A single serving from a 1/2 cup of uncooked oats is doubled by adding the zucchini, so I can see how this helps cut down calories and carbs for breakfast.

While I think this food trend has some benefits and I'd try them again, I don't see it becoming a regular part of my breakfast repertoire. Grating the zucchini adds extra steps and clean up which is not ideal when you're trying to get out the door in the mornings. Zoats are better as a make ahead dish either the night before or on the weekend.

Carrot Cake Zoats Recipe

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10-15 mins
Total time: 15-20 mins
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• ½ cup uncooked old-fashioned oats
• ½ zucchini, peeled and grated (peeling prevents any green tint in the dish)
• ½ carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 cup water
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of ground cloves
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk (or plant-based milk)
• Sugar or sugar substitute (I used Splenda)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions
Add oats, grated zucchini, grated carrot, water, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to a medium saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil. Then lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until oats and vegetables are cooked through. Remove from heat and let sit for a couple of minutes.

Stir in milk to thin the zoats to your desired consistency. Adjust sweetness to your taste with sugar or sugar substitute, or additional maple syrup.  Serve immediately in bowls and top with chopped pecans.

Cauliflower Tikka Masala

I wish I could say that I have some logic or method for selecting recipes to try. But I don't, and I even boggle myself on why I decide to try something. Vegetarian Gastronomy's Cauliflower Tikka Masala recipe is one of those instances.

I like chicken tikka masala but have never been inspired to make it, even after I finally added a number of spices to my pantry that are used in Indian cooking. But for some reason, I saw the cauliflower version through PureWow's turmeric guide and got inspired. I think I was drawn to another way to cook cauliflower, the recipe looked very doable, and I already have most of the ingredients.

When I'm inspired to make a dish, I usually do a web search to compare recipes and try to find more authentic recipes. Not this time. So, I realized after I was in the middle of making this that it is actually a vegan recipe that uses coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Not a bad thing and I was pretty pleased with how it tasted.

One hesitation I had about this vegan recipe was that it includes red bell pepper, which I didn't see as a common ingredient in non-vegan tikka masala recipes. So I'm not sure what was behind using red bell pepper...texture, flavor, personal taste? Reason for my hesitation is because I dislike bell peppers, especially the green ones. I don't like their flavor and I think their taste lingers well after a meal. But, I don't avoid eating a dish that has them and will eat around the peppers if I have to. And if I actually eat them, I'd rather eat red or orange ones that are roasted or cooked down because they are slightly sweeter. I'm very happy to say that the bell pepper flavor was mild in this dish. Maybe because it was blended up.

I passed on the optional cashew cream. And I don't have mustard seeds and left that out because I hate buying spices for one dish. I also don't think it's necessary to grate the ginger since it goes into the blender anyway, so I just minced it to save time and have one less tool to wash. 

Blended sauce returned to pan with spices added

Cauliflower added in

I served this with yummy jasmine rice to mix with all that good sauce. Finishing the dish with fresh cilantro really finishes the dish. Overall, I liked this dish quite a bit and would make it again. It can be a main dish or a side. I'd probably try it with cream and leave out the bell pepper to see how the flavor of the dish changes.

Cauliflower tikka masala served over jasmine rice

My Rating (out of 5): 4