Mushroom, Kale and Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Fall is finally here and with the season comes warm, earthy flavors and lots and lots of gourds! Fall is by far my favorite time of year--we've got a bunch of October birthdays in my family (mine included) and Halloween and Thanksgiving (hands down my favorite holidays--I mean, it's gotta be pretty obvious that I'd favor holidays that are all about food, right?).  

Then there's the pumpkin... Can we talk about pumpkin for a minute? Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Pumpkin Beer . . . 

Corn, Avocado and Black Bean Quinoa

This week’s mid-week inspiration is a fresh tasting side dish that’s quick and so easy to put together for a BBQ, party or last minute dinner.  And I don't even need to tell you that it's delicious... How could it not be when the three main ingredients are corn, avocado, and black beans?  Those three go together like . . . 

Mango Avocado Salsa

I absolutely LOVE both mangoes and avocados, I mean, who doesn't?  Actually, I tend to meet a lot of people who say they don't like mangoes and I just don't understand.  Really, what's not to like?  I guess cutting mangoes is never too much fun because they're pretty messy and I always fight with them to get every last bit off of the seed and skin, but . . .

Quinoa Chia Breakfast Bowl

A quick, warm and hearty breakfast idea that’s good for you too! 

It’s about that time for another midweek inspiration—this week is a quick, warm and hearty breakfast idea that’s good for you too!  I probably make quinoa once a week and when I make it I always . . .

Zucchini Rollatini

This is a rich, creamy and raw spin on an Italian classic. 

I recently got to thinking about eggplant rollatini and decided I wanted to try putting a healthy spin on the classic Italian dish.  Since I couldn’t really imagine eating raw eggplant because . . .

Carrot Cake Balls

These healthy, raw, vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar free cake balls are a taste of carrot cake heaven in a bite sized portion! 

Carrot cake has always been one of my favorite desserts—a moist, fluffy, sweet, and spicy cake smothered in a rich, sweet, and slightly tangy cream cheese frosting… Not many sweets hold a candle to carrot cake in my book.  When I was a kid . . .

Jalapeno-Chive Pretzel Bites with Beer-Cheese Dip

These pretzels bites are the perfect handheld snack for a football party!

We’re extra excited about this week’s recipes over here in the Minnie Chef’s Kitchen!  We always enjoy doing some themed cooking, and this week, the theme is football parties!  An old classmate of mine has a collaborative beer tasting show, called Beer Undercover, that he broadcasts live every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. on Periscope.  If you’re a beer drinker, you should definitely tune in . . .

Pad Thai Salad

Pad Thai… mmm… What’s not to love about a bowl full of thick noodles slathered in a creamy peanut butter sauce, right? Well, it’s pretty hard not to love a crisp, refreshing salad with noodle-like ribbons of vegetables covered in an equally as creamy peanut butter sauce.  When I made my salad, I used . . .

Sunday Brunchin' at Green Bar & Kitchen

I can't wait to go back to Green Bar & Kitchen for another Sunday Brunch! 

I had seen this place online a while back and it was on my list of vegan spots to try in the area.  Then, a friend of mine brought it up in conversation and since we were both really curious about it, we decided . . .

Spicy Sesame Noodles

This is such a flavorful pasta salad recipe and is a lot lighter and more refreshing than more traditional pasta salad recipes. 

This recipe actually came about because of our Disney vacations.  My family spends a lot of time at Disney World—the happiest, but certainly not the healthiest, place on earth.  So, in an effort to be health conscious on vacation, we . . .