If I were to write a cookbook someday, it would resemble a slightly (just slightly) classier written version of the “weird food combos” snap chat story. I am the kid you dared to eat the chocolate milk-ketchup smoothie at the lunch table in second grade, and I am proud to say that not only did I survive, but I am more adventurous with food because of it. Here are some of my wins, fall themed of course.
- Loaded Sweet Potato
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You’ve heard of the loaded baked potato, a carbolicious classic sure to infest your dreams every time fall rolls around. But have you ever thought: what if I stuffed a sweet potato???? Well, now you have. Oops, now you can’t unthink it, sorry. Or should I say you’re welcome? Allow me to explain the magic. Basically, you bake a sweet potato and cut it open as you would when baking and stuffing a normal potato. You can either wrap it in tinfoil and bake it (takes too long, imo) or stick it in the microwave for four minutes. Just impale it with a fork a few times before hand. Let your anger out. You know the drill. Once it’s all baked and ready comes the fun part: loading. Since it’s more sweet than savory, the stuff you load it with should be more sweet too. You want the flavors to compliment eachother. So, instead of sour cream, opt for peanut butter. Instead of green onion, put chia seeds, instead of cheese, add honey, and instead of brocoli and and bacon, add a few slices of banana. And there you have it, a sweet, healthy, filling, snack. Just trust me dude, it’ll change you.
- Honey Rosemary Root Vegetables
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Okay. This one is slightly less wierd, but it gives you- *the chef* – a lot more creative liberty. What you’re going to do is grease up a pyrex dish with butter. Coat the bottom and a little bit of the sides. Add chopped red onion and minced garlic along the base aswell. Then, thinly slice carrots, turnips, parsnips, yuca (and any other root veggie you like that you think would taste good in the medley) into bite sized nuggets of happiness that will cook nice and evenly. On top, add a few slices of butter, salt, pepper, and, honey (I know, but again, you just gotta trust). Then, take rosemary and sprinkle that all over the dish. It’s what gives it the flavor. Bake this in the oven uncovered at 350 for 15 minutes, take it out, and toss the veggies around. Stick it back in for another 10 minutes and repeat until the veggies are evenly roasted to your liking.
- “Everything But Your Literal Fridge” Bread Pudding
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This bread pudding recipe gives a whole new meaning to allspice. Basically, just put all your spice in a bowl. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, etc. Mix it with a cup of milk, two eggs, a cup of eggnog, and stale bread ends. As long as they’re not moldy, you’re good. Now, let that soak. Just put some tinfoil over the bowl and let those cracker-like stale bread ends receive new life. Once it’s soaked for at least two hours (IN YOUR FRIDGE OF COURSE, NOT JUST FESTERING ON YOUR KITCHEN COUNTER) you can add in the add-ins. Have chocolate chips? Add-in. Raisins? Add-in. Banana? Add-in. Dried fruit? Frozen fruit? ADD. IT. IN. Then, butter a pan and bake that Frankenstein in the over at 450 until it’s solid all the way through (check it with a chopstick). It should take a little under an hour.
- Mexican Breakfast Salad?
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If you haven’t yet gathered how I cook, I basically just add stuff togther and hope for the best. Sometimes I hit, somtimes, well, I’ve never given myself food poisoning so I think I’m doing fine. Anyway, salad is my ideal canavas. It’s literally just mixing stuff. And you don’t have to use a stove! Check plus. For this salad, start with an arugala base. For protein, add in some chopped hard-boiled eggs, and for fiber, some silces of avocado. For the filler veggies, add in corn, black beans, and cilantro. Dress with green sirracha, and prepare to be confused but amazed.
It is *spooky season* after all, might as well make your food choices match in spirit. I hope you try some! If you do, let me know what you think by posting a picture on your Insta story and tagging me @hcbuffalo ;)