Last week I watched Forks Over Knives one night during dinner(it’s streaming on Netflix). Have you seen it? It’s a documentary that follows the careers of two scientists studying the effects of a plant-based diet on humans and sharing the comparative data from around the world. It’s a lot of information to take in at once, but a very compelling and thought provoking film.

The movie left me with a lot to think about. I already eat vegetarian and mostly dairy-free, both of which the film promotes. But it had me thinking more about the other parts of my diet that I don’t tend to question, specifically protein. I like most people grew up with an emphasis on protein with every meal; even now I almost always make sure my meals revolve around eggs or tempeh. But the film makes the point that, if eating a whole foods diet, a person doesn’t have to worry about a protein deficiency since all whole foods have some amount of protein in them. It’s only since we’ve started eating processed and refined food that protein has become a problem.

While I’m not quite sure what to do with all the information from the film, I think it has a good point about protein and what “needs” to be on our plates at meal time. Since watching I’ve tried eating alternative meals that fit the Engine 2 Diet, like this quinoa bowl. It would make a great side dish to chicken or tofu, but it also makes a hearty and satisfying meal by itself.

I made this using leftover quinoa and pre-cooked butternut squash. Expect for the time to be longer if you’re starting with raw ingredients.

Quinoa With Butternut Squash, Craisins, and Almonds

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 side servings or 2 entrees):

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 cups cooked and diced butternut squash
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup crushed or sliced almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon honey or agave nectar
• 1/2 Tablespoon white vinegar

Method:

1. Combine all of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
2. Serve hot or at room temperature.

I ate mine cold with some kale and avocado and it was a perfectly satisfying meal.

Is it too soon to start dreaming about Thanksgiving side dishes? We only have a little more than a month to go so I’m going to say not.

The truth is, warm, comforting Holiday dishes are so good there’s no reason not to eat them all season long, except that they might fill you out a little too fast. Mashed squash is a great healthy substitution for mashed potatoes when it’s not loaded with too many sticks of butter(I’m looking at you, Pioneer Woman).

This recipe calls for a very specific type of squash: Buttercup squash, otherwise known as kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin. This variety cooks softer and starchier than most other varieties so that it mashes more like a sweet potato but still has that distinct squash flavor to it. You can find buttercup squash at most grocery stores; I find mine at the farmers’ market where it’s probably cheapest at $4 a squash.

Creamy Mashed Squash

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients(Makes 4-6 servings):

• 1 medium-sized buttercup squash
• 6 Tablespoons butter*
• 2 Tablespoons cream or milk*
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of nutmeg

*You can also use dairy-free alternatives in place of both of these and make the dish vegan.

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut the squash in half and remove the filling and the seeds.
3. Roast the flesh of the squash skin-on until it’s soft and scoopable—about an hour.
4. Remove the halves from the oven and wait until they’re cool enough to handle.
5. Carefully scoop the flesh away from the skin and combine it in a mixing bowl. Discard the remaining skin.
6. Add the butter, cream, salt, and nutmeg to the squash and mash it with a potato masher until smooth. For an even quicker and smoother method, put all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
7. Transfer the squash to a serving bowl and serve hot.

My favorite part is the pat of butter on top. It reminds me when growing up I would steal the cold foil-wrapped slices of butter from the bread basket at restaurants and eat them plain. This recipe—I hope–is a little more appetizing than that, though.

Even after almost 2 years of eating gluten-free, I’m still learning about places it can be that trip me up. Recently on Ashley’s blog I read that most restaurant fries aren’t gluten-free. Puzzled, I looked it up online and sure enough found a host of explanations why most restaurant french fries aren’t gluten-free, basically summed up by this:

• Some restaurants preserve the fries in between cutting and cooking by adding a coating including flour to soak up moisture and keep them from sticking together.
• If fries are fried in the same oil as battered foods like chicken nuggets, the oil can contaminate the fries with gluten.

Luckily in the few instances I can think of that I’ve eaten french fries I don’t remember feeling sick afterwards. But I don’t need to be told twice to avoid something potentially harmful, especially when they’re so easy to make at home.

This recipe is very simple, with just what I would call the bare-bone ingredients. You can make more flavorful fries by switching up the seasoning. The vinegar in the recipe helps to give the fries a more authentic flavor without overpowering the seasoning. Definitely don’t leave it out, and don’t worry about the fries having a strong salt and vinegar taste because they most certainly don’t.

Oven Fries

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

• 2 medium-sized russet potatoes
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• Splash(about 1/2 Tablespoon) vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more for finishing
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. With a sharp knife, cut the potatoes horizontally and then lengthwise into long, thin fry shapes.
3. Toss the fries with the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper until completely coated.
4. Line the fries out on a baking tray in a single layer. Bake for 50 minutes or until the ends are crisp, flipping occasionally to cook on all sides. Sprinkle with extra salt and serve immediately.

Serve with ketchup, obviously. I like Trader Joe’s ketchup because it’s more tart than most others but since I don’t live near one I use Whole Foods brand organic ketchup. Did you know organic ketchup has up to 8 times the lycopene of non-organic brands? Add that to the list of useless facts you’ll never need.