Category: Recipes

Pumpkin Risotto

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Pumpkin Risotto

If you’re looking for new pumpkin recipes to add to your seasonal repertoire, this savory recipe is a nice alternative to sweet pumpkin desserts.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Earth Balance butter
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 1 minced garlic clove
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 cup Arborio rice
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a 3-quart casserole dish over medium heat. Add the sage and garlic; cook for 1 minute.
  2. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.
  3. Stir before serving!

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Chick’n Nacho Box

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Chicken Nacho Box (5)

This is a fun bento box-style lunch to put together for kids. The homemade chips are fun, but you can skip that step and use store-bought tortilla chips to save time.

Chicken Nacho Box (4)

Ingredients:

  • 6-inch corn tortillas
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 (9-ounce) package Gardein chick’n strips
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 cup frozen yellow corn, thawed
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • Shredded non-dairy cheddar
  • Store-bought salsa
  • Store-bought guacamole
  1. To prepare the chips, use a 3-inch cookie cutter to make circles from the tortillas until you have the desired amount of chips.
  2. Turn a mini muffin tin upside down and coat with cooking spray. Nestle each tortilla circle in the space between muffin cups, to form tiny bowl shapes. Coat with cooking spray and bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes. Let cool.
  3. Meanwhile cook the chick’n according to package directions. Chop and set aside.
  4. In a bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, and cumin. Add the chick’n, corn, and cilantro, stirring to coat.
  5. To serve, place the chick’n mixture alongside the tortilla chip cups with your favorite vegan cheddar, salsa, and guac on the side!

Chicken Nacho Box (6)

Happy Birthday Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Happy Birthday Carrot Cake (7)

Everyone will love this carrot cake: Parents will love that all the sweetness comes from pineapples and maple syrup; birthday boys and girls will love that it tastes great! It’s perfect for toddler parties, in sum.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

  • 1 and 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup oat flour
  • 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, divided
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup canned crushed pineapple
  • 1/4 cup Earth Balance butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup grated carrot

For the cream cheese frosting:

  • 1 cup non-dairy cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup canned crushed pineapple
  • 2 tablespoons apple juice
  1. To prepare the cake, combine the flour, oat flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon baking powder with 1 cup crushed pineapple. Add the Earth Balance butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, stirring until combined.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until wet. Mix in the grated carrots.
  4. Spoon the batter into a lightly-oiled round cake pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
  5. To prepare the frosting, combine the cream cheese, 1/2 cup pineapple and apple juice in a stand mixer; beat until combined.
  6. Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake.

Happy Birthday Carrot Cake (3)

The birthday girl loved watching this bake in the oven.

Happy Birthday Carrot Cake (2)

The best kind of anticipation!

Happy Birthday Carrot Cake (8)

Tricked-Out Treats

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Owl Treats (10)

There aren’t any neighborhood Halloween parties this year since big gatherings are a no-no, but that doesn’t mean you can’t surprise your little goblins with a party platter of tricked-out treats. To wit, we’re getting a little batty with our snacks as we get closer to Halloween. And ghosty, and spidery, and owlish, too!

For spiders, cut kiwi into rounds and arrange 8 pretzel pieces around each circle as legs.

Owl Treats (1)

For ghosts, cut mini cucumbers in half lengthwise. Cut out small pieces of non-dairy cheddar slices for eyes and mouths.

Owl Treats (3)

For vampire bats, spread water crackers with guacamole. Place each cracker over two blue corn tortilla chips for wings. Use additional corners of tortilla chip for fangs, and pieces of non-dairy cheddar for eyes.

Owl Treats (4)

At dessert, it was time for some sweet-not-spooky owls!

Owl Treats (9)

Trim rice crispy treats (such as Made Good) along one edge to form two triangles. Spread with your favorite vegan vanilla frosting, then add two creme-filled cookies (such as Newman O’s) as eyes. We had some sleepy owls and some that were wide awake! Add an almond for a beak, and your little owls are ready!

Owl Treats (8)

No tricks here, just delicious treats that had the kids smiling.

Owl Treats (5)

Orzo, Chickpea, and Sweet Corn Salad

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Orzo Chickpea Pasta (1)This lunch pasta is great served at room temperature. Prep the chickpea “tuna” salad the night before and it comes together in moments, if you’re packing up lunchboxes!

Ingredients:

For the chickpea “tuna” salad:

  • 1 (15-ounce) drained can chickpeas
  • 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup diced celery
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

For the pasta:

  • 8 oz orzo pasta
  • 1/2 cup frozen sweet white corn, thawed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  1. To prepare the chickpea salad, combine the chickpeas, mayo, celery, red onion, and garlic powder in a bowl; mash with a potato masher until it resembles tuna salad.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain and transfer to the bowl with the chickpea mixture, along with the corn and olive oil. Stir to combine.

If you prefer, make a double batch of the chickpea “tuna” and use for sandwiches later in the week!

Orzo Chickpea Pasta (2)

Frosted Cauliflower

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Frosted Cauliflower

The kids enjoyed a recent recipe for whole-roasted cauliflower so much that we tried a second version today!

Ingredients:

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 1/4 cup plain non-dairy yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon agave nectar
  • 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheddar
  1. Trim the stem and leaves from the cauliflower and place in an 8×8-inch baking dish.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mustard, and agave nectar. Spread over the cauliflower head… just like you’re frosting a cake!
  3. Sprinkle with the cheddar, then cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes, until tender.

Waffle Rover

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Waffle Rover (7)

What’s better than a little Mars Rover your kids can steer around the house? One they can eat, of course!

Waffle Rover (1)

This cute recipe comes together in mere moments. Toast two waffles and then trim the edges so you have 2 squares instead of 2 circles. Reserve one of the cut pieces and trim into a small rectangle (this will later be the rover’s head).

Waffle Rover (3)

Spread one waffle square with any sweet sticky spread. We tried one version with chocolate-hazelnut butter and a second with sunflower seed butter. Place the second waffle square on top. Spread additional sticky spread along two sides of the square and attach banana slices as wheels.

Waffle Rover (4)

To build the head of the rover, thread 2 blueberries onto a toothpick, followed by the small waffle rectangle and a final blueberry.

Waffle Rover (5)

We found that our rover head stood up better if we used two toothpicks instead of one.

Waffle Rover (6)

Chances are your rovers won’t have long to explore before they’re gobbled up!

Beef and Gnocchi Stew

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Beef Gnocchi Stew (1)

A rainy day off from school called for stew! Luckily I had all the ingredients for this one in the freezer and pantry.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 (9-ounce) package Gardein beefless tips
  • 1 onion, hopped
  • 32 ounces vegetable broth
  • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with garlic, oregano, and basil
  • 1 pkg. frozen or refrigerated gnocchi
  • Chopped parsley (for garnish)
  1. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beefless tips and onion; cook for 10 minutes.
  2. Stir in the broth, canned tomatoes, and gnocchi. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
  3. Garnish with the parsley just before serving.

Comfort in a bowl!

Beef Gnocchi Stew (2)

Black Bean Roll-Ups

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Black Bean Roll Ups (2)

Kids will love the fun pinwheel shape of this sandwich. And grown-ups will love the nutrition packed inside it!

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup minced onion
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 8 ounces carrot puree
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 4 whole wheat tortillas
  • 4 tablespoons mashed avocado
  1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; saute for about 3 minutes.
  2. Stir in the beans, carrot puree, and cumin. Mash with a potato masher to desired consistency; set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, warm the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
  4. Spread each tortilla with about 1/4 cup bean mixture and 1 tablespoon avocado. Roll up, then cut into slices to serve.

Black Bean Roll Ups (1)

Experience the Harvest

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Verrill (3)

With beautiful fall recipes that celebrate the harvest in Travis’s latest Raddish Kids, we wanted to make sure we ticked all the boxes for fall family fun. All of the following activities are ones we try to do every year. Start now and make them a tradition for your family, too!

Go Through a Corn Maze

Hansons (7)

Corn mazes range from the easy to the truly harrowing. Aim for one-acre or less if your kids are young like mine. Meanwhile, big kids can tackle the biggies… Or the haunted ones!

Attend a Local Harvest Festival

Davis (4)

This was harder this year, under COVID-19 regulations. But we did go to a local farm, where the kids got to see animals like goats and sheep, and help feed them, too!

Pick Pumpkins at a Patch

Hansons (15)

We headed to the pumpkin patch on a day where proceeds benefited the pediatrics department of our local hospital. The kids got to take home goodie bags, and three proudly picked pumpkins.

Hop a Tractor for a Hay Ride

Hansons (2)

Bummer, the hay rides are closed this year, too. But the kids can still sit in the tractors at least. Vroom, vroom!

Drink Hot Apple Cider

Mulled Cider (2)

After holding his own apple cider stand (!), we made sure to save enough to enjoy mulled cider back at home. The kids marveled at how a little heat and spice transformed a regular cup of cider. It was the perfect pause for some Raddish Kids’ Table Talk cards, too.

Visit an Orchard for Apple Picking

Davis (19)

We lucked out with a gorgeous afternoon to pick apples from a local orchard. Travis was really into finding the best apples and carefully twisting them off this year. Veronika loved standing under the trees and staring up at the apples in glee.

Davis (14)

Everyone loved it.

Spiced Baked Apples (1)

Need a recipe for your haul? Try Spiced Baked Apples!

Spiced Baked Apples (4)

This recipe is great because it works best with a mix of sweet and tart, taking advantage of multiple varieties from your picking excursion.

Ingredients:

  • 6 apples
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
  1. Slice the apples and toss with the lemon juice in a large bowl.
  2. Add the cornstarch, brown sugar, water, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt.
  3. Spoon the apple mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Cut the butter into small pieces and arrange over the apple slices. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  4. Uncover, stir, and bake an additional 15 minutes. The apples will look almost like a chunky applesauce. Let stand at least 30 minutes before serving.

Happy Harvest!

Spiced Baked Apples (3)