Sides

Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese

Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese made with your favorite pasta and a creamy cashew sauce. Serve solo as a side and with protein for a main!

Last fall, we spent Friday and Saturday at an Air B&B in Virginia with friends to celebrate a birthday.

It was our first time traveling with Flora!

I think I can speak for both M and me when I saw we were more than a little nervous about how it would all turn out.

Pottying, sleeping, and eating were all big question marks, because our pup has never spent a night somewhere else.

As it turns out, she did *very* well.

She picked up on the pottying after a few hours and settled in for sleep like a champ.

In fact, I think she might travel better than her mama, who is always in a state of anxiety upon arrival.

As usual, I packed most of my food for the weekend, including this Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese that I shared with my friends’ 1 year old son.

He didn’t eat much, but I think that’s more because we were babysitting and less because of the recipe.

This Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese is cozy, flavorful, and packed with veggies.

It’s made with your favorite pasta and a creamy cheesy cashew sauce.

Serve it solo as a side or add protein to make it more of a main!

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Caribbean Rice & Beans

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Cozy Caribbean Rice & Beans recipe made in one pot with Eden Foods Caribbean Black Beans! Serve as a side or add protein for a main!

To tell you the truth, I’m very excited for fall.

While I’ve always loved the heat, fall is my favorite season.

Honestly, this summer really wore me down with its multiple heat waves and intense humidity.

I’m pretty sure that Flora would be excited for fall, too, if she had seen the season before.

Based on how many dried up leaves she tries to grab and chew on our potty breaks, she’s going to have a blast.

I have a sneaky feeling she doesn’t appreciate the heat of the sun either, because she bows and turns her head when it beats down outside.

Either that, or she’s a vampire, which at this point with those puppy teeth, is an equally compelling theory.

So, I’ve already dreamed up our fall itinerary.

I’m dreaming of leash training in the cool crisp fall air, taking Flora to pick out a bright orange gourd, and making cozy 1-pot meals with her underfoot.

Starting with this Caribbean Rice & Beans dish that we made here recently pre-puppy.

It’s the perfect flavorful and cozy 1-pot meal to make this season to support back-to-school and the end of summer!

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Vegan Elote Corn Salad

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Vegan Elote Corn Salad made easily with frozen corn and a creamy vegan dressing. This summer salad is perfect served warm or chilled!

Do you remember the viral video from last year with the little boy explaining his love of corn…

“It’s corn!”

Well, that basically sums up this post in a nutshell (er, corn husk?).

Today, we’re using an underestimated frozen good in the F&V kitchen…frozen corn!

I almost always have a bag in my freezer, and today we’re giving it some love to make a craveable summer salad to share.

This Vegan Elote Corn Salad is made easily with frozen corn and a creamy vegan dressing.

The best part is that this summer salad is perfect served warm or chilled!

It’s perfect for a plant-based option for outdoor gatherings, backyard barbecues, and cool cookouts.

Grab a few ears (of corn) and let’s do this!

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Coconut Creamed Kale

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Coconut creamed kale made on the stovetop with green and lacinato kale in a coconut-based sauce for a quick and cozy plant-based side.

If you need a last minute holiday side to end the year with pizzazz while also getting your greens in, I got you.

If you’ve been around here a while, you know I’m more than OK to eat most of my produce raw, steamed; zero frills, low effort.

But recently I went on a “creamed vegetable” kick.

Maybe because it’s winter and I felt like my vegetables deserved to have a lot of fun before the new year.

I was reminded of eating creamed corn as a kid, and how nice that was, so I set out to create a cozy vegan alternative.

While I tried both creamed corn and creamed kale, the greens won me over in the end.

Let’s tame our kale together and make this Coconut Creamed Kale.

It’s made on the stovetop with green and lacinato kale in a rich coconut-based sauce for a quick and cozy plant-based side.

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Lime Maple Roasted Kale

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Lime maple roasted kale baked with garlic served with squeezed lime and a drizzle of maple syrup. Perfect for a plant-based side dish to your main meal.

This year we decorated the Christmas tree in the dark.

On this particular evening, I cleared our schedules for Christmas tree decorating and set the scene.

The ornaments were ready, the mini tree perched in the living room, the wine bottle uncorked and breathing.

And then…the power went out for most of the evening in our Maryland neighborhood area!

But we didn’t let that stop us from rocking around the Christmas tree, friends.

Instead, we lit soy candles and turned on our brightest camping lights, treading room to room with flashlights glowing in hand.

We decorated the tree by candlelight with Christmas music blasting from my iPhone speakers.

When the lights finally came back on an hour later, we were almost disappointed.

After the twinge of annoyance, we had fully committed to a cozy evening by candlelight instead of the TV.

We were, however, happy to have the kitchen fully functioning again.

I told M we could just turn off the lights…but maybe after we serve dinner?

For today’s dinner, I’m showing you how to transform cold kale into a warm and flavorful side dish.

This Lime Maple Roasted Kale is baked with garlic and served with squeezed lime and a drizzle of maple syrup.

It’s perfect for a plant-based partner to your main meal this winter!

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Favorite Plant-Based Thanksgiving Sides

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My favorite plant-based Thanksgiving sides that are also hearty, delicious, and gluten-free! Mix and match to create a cozy vegan Thanksgiving spread.

I’ve seen 33 Thanksgivings but this will be the first year that I’m hosting people!

In preparation to be a good hostess, I have a lot of questions about hosting etiquette, like:

Is it too soon to decorate the house for Christmas?

How many camping chairs can I fit around the kitchen table?

Is there such a thing as too many Thanksgiving sides?

Thanksgiving sides are my *favorite* part of the whole holiday menu.

I’ve never found it hard to have an entirely plant-based Thanksgiving loading up on my favorite side dish recipes.

This collection of My Favorite Plant-Based Thanksgiving Sides has something for everyone this Thanksgiving Day.

I wish I could have you *all* over for Thanksgiving, friends, but I’m pretty sure I don’t own enough camping chairs for that, so this is the next best thing!

Mix and match these vegan and gluten-free dishes to create a beautiful bountiful holiday spread to share.

And these sassy sides aren’t just for Thanksgiving!

Save this recipe round and make them again for Christmas, New Years, and all of the winter holidays that bring you joy.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Figs & Pecans

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Sweet and savory oven-roasted brussels sprouts with chopped dried figs and pecans. Perfect to make for a winter appetizer or holiday side.

I know I say this every November, but I truly can’t believe that Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away.

This year I’m preparing dishes for both my family Thanksgiving AND a Friendsgiving the following day.

That’s a lot of kitchen time here at F&V, friends!

For each of those feasts, you bet I made sure that brussels sprouts were included on the menu.

They’re one of my favorite vegetables and definitely one I think of first when I prepare a fall plate.

If you’re not a big fan of brussels sprouts, then today’s recipe is for you.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Figs & Pecans is my new favorite way to enjoy sprouts.

It’s a little salty, a little sweet, with a slight kick of spice and a lot of texture and crunch.

This dish is perfect to prepare for an easy and delicious winter appetizer or holiday side!

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Candied Yams with Cacao Nibs & Pecans

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Candied yams naturally sweetened with coconut sugar and pure maple syrup served with cacao nibs and pecans. Perfect for a vegan holiday side to share!

Whenever we went to my grandma and grandpa’s house my grandma served candied yams for dinner.

I loved them because to they tasted *so* much better than your average sweet potatoes.

That’s probably because they were dripping in sugar-y syrup, which little Lauren thoroughly appreciated.

I haven’t had candied yams in years, but I wanted to make a lightened up version that’s vegan and naturally sweet.

This version is totally refined-sugar-free and lightly sweetened with coconut sugar and pure maple syrup.

These Candied Yams with Cacao Nibs and Pecans are still sticky sweet and comforting.

Top them with cacao nibs and chopped pecans for a fun vegan holiday side to share!

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Pesto Pasta Salad

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Pesto pasta salad made with Chickapea Penne Pasta in a delicious vegan pesto with juicy heirloom tomatoes. Perfect for a summer main or side!

I missed live music, friends!

This summer I’ve been fortunate enough to attend several concerts to see some of my favorite artists.

Feeling the energy of a live crowd around me pales in comparison to lazy listening in my living room.

I felt intrinsically connected by the pulsing beat, the shared emotion, the pregnant silence between songs.

And it’s even better if you can bring your own picnic with you!

The first time we attended an outdoor show, I threw this Pesto Pasta Salad together.

It was a hot hot day, and I knew we’d be craving something cold and fresh, yet hearty and filling.

M and I devoured the entire bowl listening to Sharon Van Etten at Wolftrap in Vienna, Virginia.

It was so good that I made it for our next outdoor event and at this point it’s a concert tradition.

Today I’m sharing this Pesto Pasta Salad Pesto made with Chickapea Penne Pasta in a delicious vegan pesto with juicy heirloom tomatoes.

It’s perfect to make and share for a summer main or side!

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Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes with Almond Butter “Gravy”

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Lightened up mashed potatoes made with a mix of Yukon potatoes, cauliflower, and a creamy almond butter “gravy”. Perfect for a plant-based holiday side!

Thanksgiving is in one week, friends!

Last night during my virtual family game night, we plotted and planned all of the fun things we’re going to do to celebrate in person next week.

Including but not limited to: our annual Thanksgiving walk, GAMES, movies, and food.

Lot’s of food.

My parents oh so gently steered me away bringing the sweet potato casserole to our holiday feast this year.

Because I think I might be one of the only sweet potato lovers at the table.

My love for sweet potatoes isn’t exactly a secret, and I often use them in place of regular potatoes in recipes.

But perhaps there is a time and place for regular potatoes in a potato-dish, eh?

Like Mashed Potatoes.

How about Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes with Almond Butter “Gravy” ?!

Hey, no one said I couldn’t add cauliflower.

These Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes are bound to be a hit with everyone at your holiday table this year!

These lightened up mashed taters are made with Yukon potatoes and cauliflower, mashed up and served with a creamy almond butter-based gravy.

Let’s get excited for all of the sides!

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