Happy week after Thanksgiving! I don’t have an online sale or coupon code to share this Cyber Monday but I do have a darn good cornbread recipe.

Stonyfield asked their Clean Plate Club to make a side better with yogurt. As a vegetarian, vegetables usually end up in whatever main dish I’m eating, so especially on Thanksgiving my favorite side is gluten-free cornbread and stuffing. 

My favorite cornbread falls in between savory and sweet. The sugar and pineapple help intensify the flavors of the cornmeal and spices. It’s much lighter than most cornbread recipes because of the yogurt so feel free to add a warm square of butter on top. 

Sweet & Spicy Pineapple Cornbread

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 12 servings):

• 1 cup all-purpose regular or gluten-free flour
• 1 cup ground corn meal
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Stonyfield whole milk plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder, and seasonings until completely mixed.
3. Add in the eggs, yogurt, milk, and oil and stir until it makes an even batter.
4. Add in the crushed pineapple and mix it in.
5. Grease an 8×8 pan and pour in the batter.
6. Bake for 35 minutes or until the center has set and the edges start to brown.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing. 

Brussels sprouts are one of my–like so many others’–favorite vegetables. Fennel? Not so much. It’s a vegetable I’m slowly growing to like that’s better sweet than savory.

These sprouts are a little sweet and a little salty; its a tasty balance that’s also healthy. This time of year you could probably also find fresh cranberries and make this recipe a little more natural, but I love eating the extra craisins while I’m cooking for something to chew on.

You can serve this hot or cold but I prefer it hot. It really depends what you’re eating it with.

Fennel Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 6 Servings):

• 4 cups Brussels sprouts, washed and halved
• 1 fennel bulb sliced
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup craisins
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons honey

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Toss the sprouts, fennel, oil, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Lay the sprouts out in a pan or cast iron skillet.
4. Roast for 30 minutes, then mix the sprouts with a utensil and roast for 15 minutes more.
5. Once done, remove the sprouts from the oven. Sprinkle on the craisins and drizzle the whole pan with honey.

When you live in the city, it’s sometimes hard to tell exactly what season it is. That’s what Starbucks limited edition drinks are for.

After I saw it was pumpkin spice latte season already, I knew it was time to start digging up old squash recipes. This recipe I’ve posted an annoying amount of times but still come back to again and again.

It’s one that I always make because I know how easy and delicious it is. Using curry powder to flavor the squash adds an untraditional kick that keeps the squash anything but boring. Still it’s familiar enough that semi-picky eaters will enjoy. 

You can really use this coating on any type but I prefer acorn the best for this since I think it has the mildest flavor. Butternut and winter squash tends to be sweeter on their own. 

Maple-Curry Acorn Squash

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

• 1 Large acorn squash
• 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt*

*omit if your curry powder is already salted.

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking tray
2. Cut the squash in half to remove all the seeds. Once de-seeded, cut along the ridges into thin wedges.
3. In a large bowl, toss the wedges with the maple syrup, curry powder, and salt so that the squash is evenly coated.
4. Lay the squash out on the baking tray and roast for 45 minutes or until fork tender.
5. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Brunch is the best meal there is; the competition’s not even close. You can go sweet or you can go savory(you can even go both!). It can be at 10am or 3pm. And even when it’s at 10am it’s always acceptable to have alcohol. What could be better?

My favorite items on any brunch menu are the different roasted vegetables(and home fries, but that’s a given). They’re something that you have to put time into but end up being well worth the effort.

If you want to wake up with savory food, these brussels sprouts are perfect for you. They’re just the right amount of crispy, satisfying, and seasoning to wake you up. Combine them with a runny yolk from a fried egg and they’re that much better. 

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Brussel Sprouts

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

• 1 1/2 cups brussels sprouts, trimmed and washed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 large garlic clove, diced
• 3 Tablespoons parmesan

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toss the brussels sprouts, salt, and 2 Tablespoons of oil together.
3. Lay the brussels out on a non-stick baking try and roast until slightly crispy(about 30 minutes for small-medium brussels)
4. Heat the remaining Tablespoon oil in a pan over low heat.
5. Toast the garlic until browning.
6. Add in the brussels sprouts and toss until well mixed and they’re cooked in the oil.
7. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the parmesan over and toss until well-mixed.
8. Serve hot.