Apple and Onion Stuffing

Having a go to stuffing recipe is a must for the holidays. This one combines a sweet and savory combination of ingredients that mixes together so well to create a hearty side dish. Apples, onion, sage, butter, and veggies come together and fill the house with the warm smell of Thanksgiving. I use vegetable stock in my version but can easily be made with chicken or turkey stock. 

Take 1 loaf of gluten free or any style of bread that you like and leave it out or dry it in the oven so it is stale. Rip it into small pieces and place it in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Place in a pan:

-1 Tbs butter (to keep vegan use an extra Tbs of oil instead)

-2 Tbs olive oil

-1 large onion chopped 

-2 stalks celery chopped

-2 carrots chopped

-2 garlic cloves chopped

-1 large sweet apple such as Honeycrisp chopped

-1 tsp salt

-1 tsp pepper

Saute until all ingredients are tender, about 5 minutes. Add in 1 tsp dried sage, and 2 tsp poultry seasoning. Mix to combine. Transfer to the large mixing bowl of bread. Gently stir to combine. Add in  the low sodium vegetable stock straight from the container it comes in by the cup full. This will moisten the mixture and make it easier for it to mix together. Add about 3-4 cups (could be more or less depending on the consistency you like). Finish by placing your stuffing in an oven safe dish and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until browned and bubbly!

Halloween-ish Oven Fries

This is a side dish thats perfect for Halloween! Potatoes are a staple in my house, and using fun colors makes it even more enjoyable. Be sure to wash the skins well and keep them on whenever cooking potatoes. A lot of nutrients and fiber are found in the skin, and they get soo crispy theres no reason not to keep them on! Making potato wedges, or potato chips in the oven can take a while for the potatoes to soften and cook. To cut this time in half I cut the potatoes into the shape I want then cook in the microwave for 6-7 minutes, or until soft. From this point you add on your flavors, and then bake in the oven. This reduced the baking time from 45 minutes ish to less than 20! Purple potatoes are an interesting ingredients and if you want to learn more about their potential cancer fighting benefits check out this link! I got these purple potatoes, and sweet potatoes from Patchwork Gardens.  

2 medium sized purple potatoes sliced and cooked in microwave for 6-7 minutes

2 sweet potatoes sliced and cooked in microwave for 6-7 minutes

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large sprig of rosemary chopped

salt and pepper

Place par cooked potatoes on a rimmed, lined cookie sheet. Cover with olive oil, then rosemary, and lastly salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until browned to your liking!

Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are by far one of my favorite foods. There is nothing quite like that tart mustardy flavor. With the abundance of eggs I've got around here, I end up making them often. Any left overs I just mush up into egg salad! Fresh eggs are hard to use for deviled eggs because of the way the shell sticks when you try to peel them. I've heard many remedies for this like putting baking soda (maybe baking powder?) in the boiling water, but I'll be honest I've never done it. I just use some of the eggs I've had on hand for a week or two. Eggs straight from the coop stay fresh much longer then the ones from the store, so I tend to keep mine for more than a month sometimes! Good thing about eggs is if theres a rotten one you'll know it. Theres no question, it will stink up your whole kitchen, fridge, coop etc. Yuck…….

-8 hard boiled eggs, peeled, insides scooped into a separate bowl

-2 very large squirts of yellow mustard, approx 1/4 cup ish

-1 Tbs white vinegar

-2 Tbs pickle juice

-1 tsp black pepper

As you can see from this recipe, I don't put any mayonnaise in my deviled eggs. I have nothing against mayonnaise, but I don't want anything to cut through that sharp tart flavor of the vinegars and mustard. If its too pungent for you add in some mayo to cut the flavor!

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