Memorial Day Weekend is upon us, which means one of my FAVORITE food seasons is here! I’m a July baby, which means I was put on this earth for burgers, corn on the cob, peaches, pasta salad, BBQ chicken, and vanilla cones. I’ll just be here absolutely blissed out until October, when it all becomes pumpkin-flavored (and then I’ll still be blissed out).
Something else I love about summer food is that nobody cares if you look like a hot mess eating it – in fact, the messier the better. Barbecue sauce all over your fingers is the ultimate sign of happiness. Ice cream dripping down your arm is adorable. Corn in your teeth is the essence of beauty. Summer is (literally) dripping with nostalgia. Unfortunately, a lot of summer food (and barbecue food, specifically) isn’t inherently plant-based. I myself am not vegan, but I do strive to eat sustainably – and I believe strongly that plant-based eating should not be a barrier to delicious, nostalgic food. This recipe is an answer to that.
Before we begin, I would like to make a statement about cauliflower. *Puts on glasses and pulls out clipboard*
I genuinely love cauliflower. I love the way I feel when I eat lots of veggies, and cauliflower is a versatile option for getting my veggies in. It’s a great blank canvas, and a great addition to things! I present as evidence: frozen cauliflower is shockingly good in smoothies. A well-made cauliflower mash can hold its own as a super delicious side dish. Also, have you ever had really good buffalo cauliflower? Damn.
However, I’d like to preface this post about cauliflower crust pizza by saying that I reject the idea that it’s a “better option” than regular pizza crust. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I’ve had this kind of mentality around foods and recipes in the past. But, I’ve been doing a LOT of soul searching in recent years re: diet culture mentality, and with that has come the realization that placing a “moral hierarchy” around food isn’t helpful for anyone. If you can eat plain ol’ pizza crust and you’re in the mood for that, do you! If someone placed a wood-fired pizza in front of me right now, I certainly wouldn’t say no.
That having been said, I am genuinely, unironically a big fan of Trader Joe’s Frozen Cauliflower Crust. I think it’s delicious, period – especially if prepared properly. As a bonus, it’s easy to store for a long time and easy to whip up, making it great for a quick 30-minute meal after a long day of rehearsing or teaching. In this particular recipe, the toppings on this pizza are SO special, and pair really well with the crust. If you’re not a cauli crust person, use something else! Make this with your favorite pizza dough or gluten-free pizza crust and all will be well, I promise.
Ok, so… For my own conscience, I should probably come clean about something right off the bat.
*DEEP INHALE* Ihaven’tkeptkosherforPassoversincebeforemyBatMitzvahwhichwasin2005. THERE, I ADMITTED IT. *catches breath*
I’M SORRY!!! I may have a biblical name, but by all accounts, I am as Jew-ISH as they come. That said though, I am very devoted to the traditions I grew up with, with food being very high at the top of that list (duh).
On Passover – as is true for a lot of Jewish holidays – we celebrate our people’s freedom and perseverance by recalling bad stuff that happened to them and then eating a giant meal. First, we sit around a seder table for *hours* nibbling raw horseradish, salty parsley, dry unleavened bread, and hockey pucks made of fish. THEN, after we feel sufficiently grateful (or maybe just hangry?), we stuff our face with delicious brisket and matzo ball soup.
As a whole though, Passover food is underrated in my opinion (gefilte fish notwithstanding 🤢).
Charoset? Low key slaps. Why don’t we eat it all year?
Manischewitz? IYKYK. (P.S. Have you ever seen someone try Manischewitz for the first time? It’s hilarious.)
Matzo? Pretty bland by itself, but a great vehicle for pretty much anything. Also, matzo farfel is superior to most other hot cereals. Don’t @ me.
AND, those chocolate covered jelly rings?!? Everyone hates them but me. The more the merrier, I say!
(All this, and yet I can’t give up pasta for 8 freakin’ days… But it’s what it is.)
Why? Because I’m SO on top of things. Because I intended to post this recipe as a 30 second Instagram reel, but it turns out I still don’t have the update that went out three weeks ago. *sarcastic chef’s kiss*
This Sweet and Savory Butternut Oatmeal is oatmeal’s cooler older sibling (who’s secretly also a nerd). It’s so creamy, rich, and flavorful you’d never guess how quick and easy it is to prepare. It kind of tastes like something you might find at a chic brunch spot in the West Village – except it won’t cost you $18 a bowl, it doesn’t involve leaving home, and you can make it yourself in fifteen minutes. Win/win.
This oatmeal gets its savory twist from herbs and spices like sage, thyme, and turmeric, and its sweetness from ingredients like butternut squash puree, cinnamon, and maple syrup. It’s also very customizable, and can easily be turned into the base of a savory oat bowl. If it’s not bragging for me to say this about one of my own recipes (even if it is, screw it!) – you need this recipe in your Sunday morning fall brunch lineup.
A luxurious, filling fall breakfast that only takes 15 minutes!
Ingredients
Scale
OATMEAL
1 cuprolled oats
2 cupsmilk of choice(I used oat)
1/3 cupcanned butternut squash puree
1/4 tspKosher salt
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1/2 tsp. ground sage
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
TO SERVE
maple syrup or honey
a pinch of freshly ground black pepper
pumpkin seeds or nuts
Instructions
Combine all ingredients (except those for serving) in a saucepan over medium high heat. Stir well until evenly combined, and bring to a low boil.
Lower the heat to medium, or until the oats reach a steady simmer. Stir frequently, cooking until the oats reach the consistency you like. They will continue to congeal after cooking, so I like to take them off of the heat when they’re a little runnier than I’d like.
Add your toppings and serve!
Notes
This dish is best consumed fresh, but is still delicious reheated. To “revive” the texture, microwave for two minutes or reheat on the stovetop and then stir in a dash of milk.
Canned pumpkin or sweet potato puree may be used instead of butternut squash.
You can use a combination of milk and water. Using all water will yield a less creamy, less flavorful result.
To make this a savory oat bowl, increase the salt slightly, cut back on the syrup, and feel free to experiment with other toppings like fried eggs, sauteed onions or leafy greens, bacon, sausage, or avocado.
NOTE: As a member of The Kitchn Cabinet, I was given free products from Daiya Foods in exchange for a recipe post. All opinions and thoughts in this post/all related posts are my own, and were not influenced by the company and/or its affiliates.
Happy fall, y’all! The weather here in New York is cooling down, the trees have started to turn, and you’d better believe I have decorative gourds and cinnamon brooms ALL over the place. I don’t know a single person who doesn’t love this season, and even if I did, I wouldn’t believe them. We all know they secretly ask for pumpkin syrup at the Starbucks drive-thru. (Just own it.)
This year though, I will admit that the crisp air is bringing with it some conflicting feelings. The beautiful spring and summer weather really alleviated a lot of cabin fever during quarantine, and it’s going to be a different situation when the weather gets colder. The holidays will be different than usual too, but since food is exempt from social distancing protocol, I’m soothing my worries by developing ALL the holiday recipes and preparing my kitchen for the cold weather. (Just ask the 15 qts. of homemade stock I made yesterday.)
