Vegan Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Bowl

February 17, 2016 Amanda Plott

Lately I have been trying to be a lot more mindful, especially with my time. It seems as if the older I get, the less minutes and hours there are in my day. Life has been whipping my tail lately and it all seems like such a blur. So, to help slow things down I decided to make this super easy vegan squash bowl. It's what 'Make Me Mindful' means to me right now.

I've noticed a lot of times that I tend to make vegan cooking a lot more of a task than it needs to be. Sometimes when it comes to food, the simpler - the better. And that couldn't be more accurate with this wonderful all inclusive plant based bowl that doesn't even require one dish to be made messy in the process of cooking it!...

Ricotta & Spinach Stuffed Shells with Butternut Squash Sauce

September 25, 2015 Amanda Plott

Welcome Fall! You are a breath of fresh air. Oh, how I've missed you!

But, I think anyone here in Texas misses Fall and welcomes it with open arms. By the time the end of September rolls around, I'm always more than ready for the cooler weather and the change of the seasons. I'm done with these 90+ degree days, dang it.

To further welcome in the fall equinox, I decided I wanted to do something fun with butternut squash. I know when I think of fall foods, squashes and gourds are often the first things that come to mind.

I had gotten a mixed bag of 'super greens' in my local box a few weeks ago that I sautéed up and placed in the freezer - sort of in the same manner that you get frozen chopped spinach. I knew that it would pair perfectly with what I had in mind for fall!...

Chickpea, Butternut Squash & Green Pea Curry

September 11, 2015 Amanda Plott

I've had this love-hate relationship with curry lately. I made a new vegetarian version of it a few weeks ago and it turned out great. I then made it again about a week ago and it was horrible. So, I went back to the drawing board.

I wanted to keep this version of curry somewhere between summer and fall with flavors and vegetables blending over from both seasons. So, I decided to use fresh green peas and spinach as an ode to summer, while the butternut squash was my fall inspiration.

This curry is full of flavor, but not very spicy if you ask me. The sweetness of the peas and butternut squash naturally tone down the spicy kick of the curry. So, if you're not one for hot and spicy things, this curry is right up your alley!...

Easy Ratatouille & Cheesy Parmesan Polenta (Crock Pot)

July 29, 2015 Amanda Plott

So, I've been on the hunt for a good way of making ratatouille lately. I had tried it many many years back when I was a brand new mother. But, it didn't turn out at all the way that I had wanted. It soured my opinion on ratatouille and eggplant for years to come. Eggplant is not my most favorite vegetable, but ratatouille is one way that I will eat it.

I think that I'll eat almost anything if it's got pasta sauce and/or zucchini involved.

A few weeks back, I had tried this recipe out while my grandmother was still visiting. It got rave reviews from around the table. As it turns out, I got an eggplant and an acorn squash in my most recent local produce box, and knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. Another ratatouille!...

Skinny Butternut Squash & Carrot Soup

May 28, 2015 Amanda Plott

Oh, man - I've survived the great storm and flood of 2015 here in Austin! Not everyone was as fortunate as us. We had a 6+ hour power outage, multiple trees blown over, and several fences that were ripped apart by 70 mph straight-line winds here in my immediate neighborhood. At one point many places were evacuated to ground level central rooms, and I was ready to jump into the closet under my stairs with my grandmother and daughter at a seconds notice when we were under a tornado warning. Scary stuff!

Our wonderful lake is thriving off all the recent rain, which is one great thing that has come out of all this crazy weather here lately; going up from 37% full to 63% full!

Of course, as I was watching the weather on the news during the most recent storm, I was taking my mind off things as best I could by cooking. What goes better with a stormy day than a nice warm bowl of soup?...

Skinny Fall Harvest Salad

October 8, 2014 Amanda Plott

A while back I absolutely fell in love with this Skinny Honey Mustard Salad Dressing that I had made, and have seriously been looking for almost any excuse to make it again. I could almost drink this dressing down by the gallon, I swear. Anyway, I've used it as both a marinade and a dip for chicken, but I was in the mood for a salad today and had my eyes set on this lovely butternut squash that was perched on my kitchen counter.

In keeping with my fall theme, I basically took all of my favorite fall inspired things and threw them into one giant salad together. The end result? A perfectly filling and delicious salad that I more than enjoyed for lunch!