Category Archives: Vegetarian Main Dish

Vegan Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Vegan Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai by Alison's AllspiceMung bean sprouts are a traditional veggie to find in pad thai.  However, the store was out of mung bean sprouts.  I thought this represented a perfect opportunity to demonstrate substitution of ingredients on the blog in this vegan spaghetti squash pad thai.  It happens in real life, so why not here?

Instead of mung bean sprouts, I decided to swap in shredded carrots. Maybe not as traditional, but just as delicious, and represents what every home cook needs to learn to truly master your craft.  Deal with the unexpected and find a solution.  A good life lesson as well. Continue reading

Creamy Portabella Mushroom Bisque

Creamy Portabella Mushroom Bisque by Alison's AllspiceTemperatures here have plumeted, and it has me diving into a big bowl of warm and comforting soup.  I have been enjoying this creamy portabella mushroom bisque all through the winter because of it’s silky smooth texture that will make you swoon.

This recipe has you make a roux out of butter and flour.   The roux is what really gives this soup the silky smooth texture.  Everything clings together in a smooth fluid fashion that is incredibly velvety. Continue reading

Whole Wheat Ricotta Gnocchi with Rustic Tomato Sauce

Whole Wheat Ricotta Gnocchi with Rustic Tomato Sauce by Alison's AllspiceGnocchi are soft, fluffy, little pillows of Italian pasta that are surprisingly easy to make. They come in multiple varieties, including potato gnocchi and ricotta gnocchi.  Ricotta gnocchi come together much faster than their potato counterpart.  This whole wheat ricotta gnocchi with rustic tomato sauce is so easy that anyone can do it!

I try to eat whole foods whenever possilbe.  I wanted to have light and pillowy gnocchi, so I tried whole wheat pastry flour and it was a huge success.  You would never notice that these were whole wheat.  Continue reading

Lemon Broccoli Barley Bowl with Cilantro Pesto

Lemon Broccoli Barley Bowl with Cilantro Pesto by Alison's AllspiceOne of my favorite simple meals is a grain bowl.  You can toss in just about any veggie, and with a little sauce, you have a meal.  This lemon broccoli barley bowl with cilantro pesto is an excellent example.

I started with a base of quick cooking barley. It cooks in only 10 minutes, which makes dinner speedy. You could also meal prep regular pearled barley, and it would be ready in even less time! Continue reading

Vegetarian Baked Potato Soup

Vegetarian Baked Potato Soup by Alison's AllspiceTodays recipe is a little more indulgent than it is healthy.  I made vegetarian baked potato soup out of some leftover baked potatoes, and it was the perfect comfort food for a cold winter day.

I say that this recipe is more indulgent because it is heavy on the dairy and saturated fats.  There are some recipes that just don’t work well when you try to lighten them up, and that’s ok.  Reserve them for special occasions, not your weekly rotation. Continue reading

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad with Kale

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad with Kale by Alison's AllspiceFriends, fall semester is finished!  That means that I will be whipping up a few extra recipes during break to share with you all.  Todays recipe, butternut squash quinoa salad with kale, was inspired by my cucumber dill quinoa salad.

Quinoa salad is a go-to kind of dish because it is fast and easy. In this fall version,  roasted butternut squash and kale replace the cucumber and dill I use in spring to make an equally satisfying salad. Continue reading

Sesame Barley Salad with Mushrooms and Green Beans

Sesame Barley Salad with Mushrooms and Green Beans by Alison's AllspiceI first started making this sesame barley salad with mushrooms and green beans years ago.  I haven’t made it in a long time because the original recipe was so time consuming.  Well, I worked on that and now have a recipe worth sharing!

One of the steps from the orignal recipe that I did not omit was toasting the barley in sesame oil.  It adds a nutty flavor that really makes this dish special. Continue reading

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chipotle Chili

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chipotle Chili by Alison's AllspiceThis year I tried growing sweet potatoes in the garden for the first time.  It was a success! Now I have a bowl full of sweet potatoes waiting for creative uses, like this sweet potato black bean chipotle chili!

I seriously loved this chili!  The sweetness of the potatoes, and the smokey chipotle really play well with each other. It is different than most chili recipes, which I love because it’s always good to switch things up. Continue reading

Easy Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk

Easy Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk by Alison's AllspiceI grow butternut squash in my garden because I love the fact that they last all through fall into winter.  I used home-grown squash in this easy butternut squash soup with coconut milk, and I could not get enough!

Usually, I use yogurt or cream to make a classic butternut squash soup to amp up the creaminess,  but I didn’t have any on hand.  Coconut milk is a common ingredient in butternut squash soup, but it is usually paired with curry spcies and the like, which is not what I was looking for. Continue reading

Tortellini with Cherry Tomato Basil Sauce

Tortellini with Cherry Tomato Basil Sauce by Alison's AllspiceMy cherry tomato plants really took off at the end of summer, and I still have tons of them to use.  This tortellini with cherry tomato basil sauce sauce just might be my new favorite comfort food!

I made this sauce in the oven to reduce the hands on time.  It could also be made on the stove top, but in my experience, it takes just as much time to reduce that many tomatoes into a thick and luscious sauce! Continue reading