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I can't believe Christmas is literally like, just over a week away. I'm fairly certain I feel this way every year as Christmas creeps up. Where the heck did the year go lol? With that being said, I thought it would be fun to revisit some recipes that feature those fabulous and festive Christmas colours. R E D
W H I T E
G R E E N
Red White & Green
HAPPY VEG
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Directions
 HAPPY VEG
Notes
Directions
 HAPPY VEG
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| 12" Copper Non-Stick Skillet  | 6 Piece Stainless Mixing Bowls  |
| 3 Piece Non-Stick Sheets  | 11 Piece Silicone Set  |
 | Pastina-SpirationPrep Time: 15 Min Cook Time: 1 Hr 10 Min (approx) Yields: 4 Servings |
 | What You Need
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Directions
- In a large, deep non-stick skillet OR soup pot, begin heating your EVOO, butter, pepperoncini, garlic, and pepper flakes on just about medium heat. Once heated, season with salt & pepper, stir, and let everything cook for about a minute to start things off. Next, add the leek, onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and a generous hit of both salt & pepper. Stir fairly often, cover, and cook those veggies between 15 and 20 minutes. Watch for browning and reduce your temp if needed. Cook until your veggies are mostly soft.
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- Remove the cover and pour in your wine and another pinch of both salt and pepper. Let the wine simmer off until mostly reduced, a few minutes, before adding the water. Bring the soup to a boil and once boiled, add the hard cheese rind, vegeta, and another pinch of both salt & pepper. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
- After the 30 minutes, pluck out the hard cheese rind. Use a slotted spoon to scoop all of the vegetables into your vortex blender ( I use a Vitamix Blender), just make sure it's a blender that can safely blend hot foods. Once full of your veg, puree until smooth and return this thick and creamy vegetable mix back into your soup. Wait for the soup to start bubbling away again before stirring in your pasta and covering the pot. You're going to cook your pasta between 8 - 10 minutes, or until perfectly al dente. Make sure to stir often to avoid clumping / scorching to the bottom of the skillet.
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- Once your pasta is tender and the soup is rich and thick, turn off the heat and fold in the grana padano and lemon juice until combined. Remove the pot from the heat and leave covered for 5ish. Prior to serving, finish seasoning with salt / pepper to taste if needed.
- Garnish your bowls with cracked pepper, finely shredded grana padano, chili oil, and some greenery (green uns / parsley). ENJOY!
- Remaining soup can be packed in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 + days. When reheating, it will likely be thick which I was fine with. Thin with broth / water to desired consistency if you'd like.
HAPPY VEG
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LAST DAY FOR CYBER MONDAY SALES
| Cuisinart Stainless Soup Pot  Cuisinart 7 Speed Vortex Blender | Deiss Pro Zester & Fine Cheese Grater  Reactive Glaze Soup Crocks ( Set Of 6) |
 | Crispy Chik'n Bolognese SammiesPrep Time: 10 Min Cook Time: 25 Min Yields: 3 Sammies |
 | What You Need
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Notes
- You will undoubtedly have leftover sauce that can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 4 - 5 days. You could easily make more sandwiches but the Gardein Supreme packs come with 3.
- The Bolognese recipe is the one I recently shared here at the blog. You could always open a jar of your fave sauce, but it won't compare to the fresh sauce in my opinion and won't be as thick and reduced.
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Directions
- Preheat your oven according to Gardein filet instructions. Get the frozen filets onto a parchment lined baking sheet and once preheated, bake according to package directions until golden and crisp. Slap 2 pieces of mozz on each filet and return to the oven until melty.
- For the sauce, if it is not already warm, you'll want to warm up enough to smother your three sandwiches.
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- Once your filets are almost finished, heat a grill pan to just about medium heat. Slice open your kaisers and brush them with EVOO. Grill your kaisers until golden and gorgeous. Use your raw garlic to rub down the grilled kaisers, imparting that wonderful garlic flavour on each bun.
- Spoon pesto onto the bottom of each kaiser and sprinkle both sides with finely shredded grana padano. Nestle your cheesy filet onto the bottom buns. Spread your thick and meaty Bolognese on top, finish with some more grana padano, and close them up for service. Keep a fork handy for any sauce that drops out you don't want to waste it.
- ENJOY!
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HAPPY VEG
 | BM Sausage BolognesePrep Time: 15 Min Cook Time: 2 Hours Yields: Enough for 4 Large Servings of Pasta 400g Pasta Approx. |
 | What You Need
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Directions
- For this recipe, I used a large, rather deep stainless skillet. Just make sure whatever pot / skillet you use has a large surface for even cooking and is deep enough to accommodate 4+ cups liquid.
- Begin heating your butter, EVOO, thyme, garlic, and pepper flakes on just about medium. Once heated, stir and let everything sizzle for up to a minute. In the meantime, add your onion, celery, bell pepper, and carrot to a food processor and blend until everything is finely chopped together. Add this to your skillet and season liberally with salt & pepper. Stir and cook for about 15 minutes. Reduce your heat a touch if you notice any scorching.
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- Make a well in the center of the pan. If you can peel your sausages easily, do so. Sometimes they peel easily, other times it's a struggle. Either way, crumble the sausages into the center of the skillet and season with salt & pepper. Stir & flip as the sausage browns for a couple minutes before stirring everything together and continuing to cook another couple minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and once that's combined, continue to cook another couple minutes to intensify that tomato flavour.
- Pour in your wine and let that bubble away for 3 - 4 minutes until reduce nicely. Make sure to scrape the bottom of your skillet / pot for any flavour bits. Pour in the milk / broth and bring your sauce to a boil. Once boiled, add 1/2 tsp. salt, the two teaspoons Clubhouse seasoning, fresh basil, and reduce to a very low simmer.
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- Simmer the sauce uncovered for one and a half hours. At around the one hour mark, check the liquid level and add additional broth / water to keep the skillet simmering for the full hour and a half.
- After one and a half hours, you should have a nice, rich & thick Bolognese sauce. Pluck out your thyme sprigs and taste your sauce, adjusting the salt / pepper to taste.
- This sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Toss with your favourite pasta or, save some for my Crispy Chik'n Bolognese Sammies coming up next!
HAPPY VEG
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| D3 Stainless Steel Frying Pan 44% For Cyber Monday <3  KitchenAid 9 Cup Food Processor | JoyJolt 8" Chef Knife  Lux Decor 35 Piece Rubber Set |
 | Creamy Boursin, Potato & Leek SoupPrep Time: 20 Min Cook Time: 45- 50 Min Yields: 4 Servings |
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Notes
- I had some kaiser rolls on hand from another recipe and made some croutons. If you have a bag of store-bought, you could totally skip this. The recipe was 2 x Kaiser Rolls, chopped in to cubes / chunks, 1/4 C EVOO, 1 Tbsp. Dried Parsley, 1/2 Tbsp. Garlic Powder, 1/2 Tbsp. Onion Powder, Heaps of finely shredded Grana Padano, and Himalayan Salt. Toss everything together and transfer in a single layer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway. Let cool, garnish your soup, and reserve any remaining croutons in an airtight container for a week or so.
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Directions
- Begin heating your EVOO, butter, garlic, and pepper flakes, in a large deep skillet / soup pot set to about medium. Once heated, stir and let everything sizzle for about a minute before adding the leeks, carrots, celery, and season with about 1/2 tsp. salt & some cracked pepper. Stir and cook the veggies about 15 minutes, stirring as needed. Reduce the temp if you notice browning. After the 15, add the taters and another good pinch of both salt & pepper. Stir and continue to cook another 5 ish minutes.
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- Stir in the flour until combined and continue in the skillet another couple minutes. Pour in the broth, scraping the bottom of your pot / skillet for any flavour bits. Bring the soup to a boil and once boiled, stir in the vegeta and reduce to a simmer. Cover for 25 minutes, or until the taters are soft.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cream until combined. Next, stir in the boursin and continue to stir until it has melted completely. Cover the pot and set aside for 5 minutes. Taste prior to serving and adjust the salt / cracked pepper to taste.
- Serve your bowls garnished with golden croutons and some green onions. ENJOY!
- Remaining soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 4 days. <3
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HAPPY VEG
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| 5 Quart Non-Stick  | Lux Decor 35 Piece Rubber Utensil Set  |
| 15 Piece Non-Stick Set (61% Off)  | Cuisinart 3 Piece Non-Stick Baking Sheets (45% Off)  |
 | Spinach & Feta Baguette BoatPrep Time: 10 Min Cook Time: 30 Min Yields: 4 Pieces |
 | What You Need
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Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F
- Get your baguette on to a flat surface. Leave yourself about 3/4" on both ends of the baguette. Carefully slice the baguette from one end to the other on both sides, finishing with two slices at the ends. Remove all of the bread / baguette, scooping out as much of the fluffy baguette as you can leaving you with an empty baguette "boat". Get your baguette on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Using a liquid measuring cup, whisk together all of the ingredients until thick and combined. Using a rubber spatula, start to pour / transfer the thick, eggy mix into your hollowed out baguette, patting it down with your spatula. It is going to be extremely full so don't worry about a tiny bit of side spillage if it happens. Once the baguette is stuffed, sprinkle the top with salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of pep flakes.
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- Bake the baguette boat for 30 minutes until the eggs are set and the baguette is slightly golden. Remove your tray and set it onto a wire cooling rack. After 5 + minutes, transfer the baguette to a cutting board and cut it into 4 equal sized pieces. Serve & ENJOY!
- Any leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 - 4 days. Reheat in your oven for best results!
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HAPPY VEG
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| Joytable 2 Pack Non-Stick Steel Sheets  Lux Decor 35 Piece Rubber Utensil Kit | Mason Cash Liquid Measuring Cup  3 Pack Liquid Measuring Cups |
 | Skillet Shep's Pie |
 | What You Need
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What You Need
- SHEPS PIE - Begin heating the butter, EVOO, thyme, and pepper flakes, in a large, 12" skillet set to about medium. Once heated, add the garlic and stir for 30 + seconds before adding the onion, celery, carrot, and a generous pinch of both salt & pepper. Stir as needed and cook the veg for about 12 - 15 minutes, reducing your heat if needed to keep them from scorching. They should be mostly soft at this point. Make a well in the center of the skillet and drop in the plant- based beef. Break it up into smaller crumbles as it browns, season with salt & pepper, and after a couple minutes, stir everything together and continue to cook another couple minutes.
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- Stir in the browning sauce and tomato paste. Once that's nice and combined, continue to cook another couple minutes before stirring in the flour. Continue to sit and cook another couple minutes and then pour in the beef broth. Make sure to scrape the bottom of your skillet to release any flavourful bits. Bring the skillet to a boil and once boiled, season with the garlic & onion powders, a generous hit of salt, and some cracked pepper. Reduce to a very low simmer and simmer uncovered until the taters are ready. At the very end, stir in the frozen green beans, pluck out the thyme sprigs, taste, and adjust the salt to your liking.
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- NOTE - If the skillet starts reducing too much before the potatoes are ready, you can pull it off the heat early and just leave it covered until the taters are ready!
- TATERS - Add the chopped potatoes and a teaspoon of salt to a pot of cold water full enough to cover the taters entirely. Bring the taters to a boil and cook until fork tender, adding the broccoli in the last 5 minutes. In the meantime, heat the cream and butter. Strain the potatoes / broccoli, reserving 1/4 C of the salty water, and return them to the pot on the burner that is now turned off. Pour the hot cream / butter & starchy water into the tater / broccoli pot and mash until creamy and combined. You can leave them a bit rustic, or mash them to your heart's content, just don't overwork them or they'll be gummy. Fold in the cheddar, remaining salt, and some cracked pepper. The parsley is optional for this recipe. Taste and adjust salt if needed / desired.
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- Now, turn off your shep's pie and get the skillet onto a wire cooling rack. At this time, set your oven to 375 F. Use a rubber spatula to flatten the shep's pie filling into a nice, flat layer. Scoop the taters on top and use your rubber spatula to spread them around to coat the skillet. Swipe through the potatoes in a zig zag pattern which will help create some crusty, golden brown bits in the oven. I left a perimeter without taters just so you could see the gorgeous filling bubbling away in the oven.
- Once the oven is preheated, get the skillet on a baking sheet to catch any bubbling over, just in case. Bake the shep's pie for 35 - 40 minutes until bubbly with nice, golden potatoes on top. Remove and set onto a wire cooling rack while you prepare the gravy. Garnish the skillet with chopped parsley and chives.
- Prepare the gravy according to package directions. Once rich and thick, it's time to serve. Scoop the skillet shep's pie into serving dishes, smother in a ladle of brown gravy, and garnish with additional chives. ENJOY!
- Remaining shep's pie can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days <3
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HAPPY VEG
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| Lodge 12" Cast iron Skillet  35 Piece Rubber Utensil Set | Heavy Duty Stainless Potato Masher  10 Piece Granite Stone Cookware |
 | Banana Crumble MuffinsPrep Time: 20 Min Cook Time: 12 - 15 Min Yields: 12 Muffins |
 | What You NeedDRY
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Notes
- Admittedly, my crumb topping probably could've used a bit more butter for an even better crumbly texture, but it worked regardless. You may find you want to add a little more for that perfectly crumbly texture.
- It's important to gently press the topping into the muffins to help it stick.
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Directions
- Preheat your oven to 400 F
- Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Mash the bananas with a fork and have that ready. To another medium sized mixing bowl, add the melted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. Using a hand mixer, mix until creamy and combined. Add the eggs, mashed bananas, and milk. Mix again until combined thoroughly.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula until everything is combined and you're left with a banana muffin batter. Spray the inside of each muffin tin with cooking spray. Use a quarter cup measure and scoop heaping scoops of the batter into each muffin tin until all 12 are full.
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- For the crumb topping, add the flour, maple, brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon to a small bowl. Add the cold butter and use a pastry cutter to start working everything together. We're looking for a clumpy sort of sandy texture. I ended up going in with my hands to finish working everything together until it was combined. Spoon crumb topping onto each muffin, gently pressing it into the muffin batter to help it stick. Once they're all covered, we're ready to bake.
- Bake the muffins at 400 F for 12 - 15 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick / piece of dry spaghetti comes out clean. Test them at the 12 minute mark, and continue to cook in a couple minute intervals until they're cooked.
- Once cooked, remove the muffin tray to a wire cooling rack for about 10 minutes. Once cooled, I simply twisted the muffins in their tins to release them and set them onto a serving plate. ENJOY!
- Remaining muffins can be kept covered at room temp for a couple days, or refrigerated for 4 - 5.
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HAPPY VEG
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| Cuisinart Muffin Tin 10% Off  | Martha Stewart 8 Piece Mixing Bowls 39% Off  |
| Cuisinart Hand Mixer 19% Off  | Lux Decor 35 Piece Kitchen Utensil Kit 15% Off  |