Unfortunately, a bisque usually implies butter and cream – which is partly what makes them so delicious, but also the reason they’re not that great for you and tend to be pretty heavy. Vegan bisques are better I guess, but a lot of those use a ton of vegetable oil or fake non-dairy cream stuff as a substitute, which isn’t not particularly nutritious either. I find the fake dairy stuff oily and weird anyway. The point being, bisques are as fattening as they are delicious and I just can’t get passed that. Enter Silken Tofu as our rich and creamy substitute that’s actually loaded with protein and we’ve got a truly magical bisque here…

We all love our extra firm tofu, but when it comes to pureeing or adding texture and protein, silken tofu is where it’s at. This slippery stuff incorporates right into just about anything when blended well. Great for smoothies and when it comes to bisques, silken tofu is heaven sent for those of us looking for a healthy non-dairy alternative (and you seriously can’t tell the difference in this case).

We tend to think of celery as a base ingredient or something we toss in as a background ingredient for some extra flavor or crunch. Like in tuna salad or chicken soup. But I think we forget how incredibly flavorful celery becomes when it’s cooked down and all that off-putting stringy stuff transforms to velvety texture and rich flavor. For this soup we cook it down until it’s very tender and falling apart, like this. and then whip it up (using and immersion blender, food processor, or blender) until it’s sliky smooth.

This soup tastes clean and rich at the same time. It’s buttery and smooth with a fantastic balance of sweetness and heat from the cayenne pepper. Nobody will believe that it’s so healthy, delicious and dairy free! Super simple to make and freezes great. Truly magical.

These sweet mini cabbages are great eaten raw – extra crunchy and refreshing. And separating the leaves is not only beautiful, but makes them perfect little cradles for dressing and all the other good stuff in this salad. Brussles are tight little bundles so I find that the best way to separate them is to trim their bases off to loosen them at the joint a little. The outer leaves are typically beat up and tough so you can toss those, and then just proceed to unfold each little cabbage one or two leaves at a time. Reserve the very centers for another use if they are too tight to open up.

To brighten these babies up I went with a tangy dressing made with lemon and fresh tarragon as well as a hint of Dijon mustard for extra depth. You can whip up the dressing with a whisk or take it a step further by tossing all the ingredients into a food processor or blender for a fluffier textured dressing.

The pepitas are nice because they’re such a tender seed, which is nice here since the brussles are already crunchy enough. The avocado and goat cheese soften and smooth things out in all the right places, unfolding and coating each raw leaf as you work your way through the salad.

I’ve made a couple versions of this salad – with goat cheese and without, with apple and without. Good both ways. I will say that the paper-thin slices of apple are a great base layer on your serving platter because they’re hidden at first glance, but make for a lovely sweet and juicy surprise to complement everything else.

I present to you the golden berry.

Also known as Incan berries or golden cherries. Ever heard of them?

Mind blowers. They’re unlike any berry I’ve ever had and everyone I’ve let try agrees. It’s hard to articulate the uniqueness of their flavor, but they’re somewhere between a dried cherry and cranberry.
First six things that come to mind:
Withered yet gummy.
Tart like sour patch kids.
Sweet like jam.
Dried cranberries are dead to me.
A miniature elbow filled with tiny snappy seeds that are fun to pop with your teeth.

Okay so now that you know exactly what these intriguing little fellas taste like you probably want to know where to get them… Rich Nature! This company was one of the very first to import goji berries back in the late 1990s before they were really available in the marketplace, and today they’ve expanded their product line to include all kinds of organic super berries (goji berries, golden berries and muleberries). For me, the quality is much better than anything I’ve purchased elsewhere (the goji berries are especially large, moist and chewy) and the prices are great. Annnnnd, as a new partner here on Honest Fare, they’re offering all of you a generous 18% discount on all your purchases! Hell yeah.
Just use this code at checkout: HONEFARE1212

They also do chocolate covered super berry treats that are incredible. I can’t recommend the chocolate covered goji berries enough though. They’re impossibly good. I just placed an order for the holidays actually.
* Click on their pretty ad to your right in the sidebar and visit their shop to use your coupon code!

Our star ingredient in these “super berry scones” is the golden berry or golden cherry – rich in phosphorous, calcium, and vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B6, B12 and protein. Yes, protein! For a fruit, golden berries are extremely high in protein (16%). The Greek yogurt and nuts add some additional protein here as well. And in an effort to make the healthiest scone on earth, of course I used whole-wheat flour and coconut oil instead of butter… (tried it both ways and had similar results with the butter being slightly fluffier and more…well, buttery tasting).

Prior to these I had never made scones before and kind of figured they’d be a bit of a pain. They’re actually really simple and quick though! After combining all the wet and dry ingredients you just roll the dough into one or two balls depending on how thick and large you want each scone to be (I did two softball-sized balls because I wanted mini scones).

Then flatten each ball out and cut into wedges of your desired size, like a pizza. I dusted the cutting board pretty good with flour to avoid sticking and it also helps significantly if you let the dough chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes before working with it.

I’ve made these a three times and the results have been great. Very nice texture and crumble and not overly dense like some whole wheat baked goods can sometimes turn out.

It’s the perfect scone for dunking!

I used golden berries and currants, pecans and walnuts here, but these will work with any dried fruit/berry or nut. I think goji berries and almonds or even dried cherries and pecans would be awesome!

Sweet potato, acorn squash, green beans, Portobello mushrooms, onions, parsley and alfalfa sprouts for some crunch. I just roasted the mushrooms, onions and green beans in a cast iron pan with some garlic and parsley, salt and pepper. The sweet potato is straight up, but the acorn squash was brushed with cumin, thyme, chili powder, cayenne pepper, coconut oil and honey. Instead of cilantro, I went with parsley because if felt more fitting here.

Now before you judge me, I’m going to tell you flat out that I absolutely hate Tabasco sauce. It’s a sucky hot sauce. However, the smokey chipotle flavor by Tabasco is another story. It’s phenomenal. I don’t understand how, but it is truly nothing like it’s pathetic ‘original flavor’ cousin. I used it here to whip up a quick chipotle cream sauce. Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, but that’s up to you.

The texture of these tacos is great. You’ve got the meaty mushrooms, crunchy green beans and tender squash with the smokiness from the cream sauce and the alfalfa sprouts, which add just the right amount of freshness. Avocado is also a really good addition.

Might I suggest this Sage & Peppercorn infused Old Fashion? It’s a take on your classic Old Fashioned cocktail, a la Thanksgiving. Gorgeous on your table and the perfect flavors to match any thanksgiving feast.

Champagne and wine are nice and all, but some of us might appreciate something a little stronger to keep that Thanksgiving glow going long into the evening when the conversation somehow shifts to whose cranberry sauce recipe was better and whether or not the turkey was dry this year…

This drink comes to us courtesy of my friend Eric who actually tends bar at The Courtesy in downtown Orlando. Eric is like the Mr. Wizard of cocktails. The man is skilled. I don’t know how he comes up with these drinks and I don’t generally know what he’s talking about either, but it looks cool while he’s doing it and it tastes even better. This one is easy for any of us to mix right up at home though.

The key is in the sage and peppercorn infused simple syrup. For this you’ll make your basic equal parts water/sugar syrup, with the addition of peppercorns. You’ll steep the sage leaves for a few minutes at the end before straining. This is all obviously done ahead of time and then transferred into a stylish vessel of your liking for easy portioning.

I promise you’ll impress the room with this concoction. And just keep everything prepped and together that way your guests can make their drinks as they go. People love activities, especially when they involve drinking.

The peppercorns will go perfectly with all the earthy flavors on the table and sage is your quintessential sexy fall herb – deep and rich with just enough brightness.

Eric taught me a couple tricks. One, being to cut the rind nice and thick, but don’t cut too deep into the orange. Avoid the white! Then you’ll want to release that natural orange oil by firmly pressing upon the rind with a fancy presser (or back of a spoon or whatever you have that can press things). Add the simple syrup and bitters and press, press, press.

Eric also has a special machine that creates crystal ball ice cubes that let you see more and more into the future with each drink.

But, we do not. Don’t get discouraged though! Add your pedestrian style ice to your tumbler just the same, pour the liquor over it and stir it up!

And then, like with the orange rind, you’ll need to release the sage essence from the leaf before dropping in into your glass. To do this, slap it between your hands and and give it a nice rub back and forth. (That’s what he said.) Do this gently so as not to bruise the leaf. Then place that pretty sage leaf in your glass at the end and drink up.

You’ll just need to get a can of chipotle in adobo, which you should be able to find at most supermarkets. I blended it up with a little agave nectar, pinch of salt and drizzle of olive oil and water. Chipotle on it’s own is quite spicy, but the agave nectar helps tame it here as does pairing it with the creamy avocado and nutty almonds. It’s worth toasting the almonds for that added crunch and roasted flavor.

Other than that, I just did a pretty typical mash of hass avocado, lime juice, red onion, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper. I like it a little chunky, but mash to your heart’s content.

Instead of using oily store bought chips, I decided to grill some tortillas and quarter them up. You can grill, pan toast or even put the corn or flour tortillas in a toaster oven.

It really takes your guacamole game up a notch when you “make” your own tortilla chips. I love the texture, plus they’re great for scooping and more filling so you go through fewer chips.

Confession: I ended up eating all of this in 2 days when I made it for the blog. That’s 3 avocados! Whoops. Is that bad? I mean, is it possible to eat too many avocados? I literally just googled that statement (half in jest), one I’ve asked myself so many times after effortlessly polishing off half of one in a sitting.

I know avocados are high in fat (with a pretty insignificant amount of protein), but I also know they’re good for you. But, fat is fat? And there are approximately 22 grams of it in one hass avocado, which I guess isn’t tremendous, but it’s quite a bit considering how easy they go down. Raw fat is obviously not the same as cooked or processed fat though, and a cup of avocado is certainly better for you than a cup of butter or a bowl of ice cream. Unlike the fat in fried food or something, your avocado has raw fiber, potassium, folate and vitamin –c. It’s also loaded with anti-inflammatory benefits (great for arthritis) and carotenoid antioxidants, which we all need to help us stay young and lovely.

Am I crazy for even worrying about this? Nah, because my google search results were pages long so it is obviously a legitimate concern. Although most those people are probably wackos. Anyway, how many avocados do you consume…say, in a week? Whatever, I happen to like avocados way more than ice cream, butter and fries combined so I guess I should consider myself lucky – and keep eating the hell out of them I will!

I debated between using jalapeño peppers or serrano peppers, but I went with serrano purely because strawberry serrano sang nicer than strawberry jalapeño. The serrano is a type of chili pepper that’s actually notably hotter than the jalapeño. I say, the hotter the better. But don’t be scared, it’s not that crazy, tongue on fire, drink a glass of milk after kind of hot. Not in the amount we’re using here anyway. I’ve made this recipe using varying amounts of serrano pepper to find the level of heat I like best – the recipe I’m giving you is like a 6 on a 1-10 heat index.

It’s really simple to do to. First, cut the peppers lengthwise and remove about 80% of the seeds (yes, 80%) and dice them up into little bits. Then you can hull and cut the strawberries into med-sized pieces and simmer them with lemon juice until a lot of the liquid cooks out (about 25-30 mins). The sugar and peppers are added in during the last few minutes of the cooking process. Oh yeah, pepper gas warning!! Depending on the amount of peppers you use, the steam released during cooking might make you cough…uncontrollably. That’s why you should add the peppers toward the end. It’s no big deal, just something to be aware of. Open a window and you’ll be fine.

Look what I found!

Most of the jams and preserves you buy in the store contain pectin, which is used as a thickening agent. It’s tasteless and you can totally use it if you’re accustomed to doing so. I don’t use it in this recipe – simmering to cook out the moisture seems to do the trick. Cornstarch is another option if you’d like your preserves to be closer to that jam-like consistency. I have used cornstarch in this recipe and was pleased with the results. Just mix a teaspoon or two with equal parts of warm water in a separate bowl and then add it in to the pot while simmering. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Works great, but don’t overdo it.

This stuff is especially fantastic with cheese! Do it up with some goat cheese or queso blanco on toast or crackers. Even a mild cheddar is nice. Anything mild and creamy (cream cheese!) will work. A peanut butter and strawberry serrano sandwich is pretty amazing too!

I want to also mention the linen photographed throughout this post. It comes from Transylvania Images , a textile company that makes kitchen linens and towels, bags and upholstery using vintage grain sacks and organic hemp. They were nice enough to send me a couple beautiful samples! Their pieces are woven on authentic hand-looms by villagers like these in Transylvania…

Check out their collection!
Transylvania Images

I don’t generally love tomato soup because half the time it’s to acidic and tomatoey and just tastes like sauce to me. And bisque is another one I stay away from at restaurants because it’s usually way too rich with the cream base. But in this case, the squash really takes the edge off the tomatoes and the coconut milk makes it super silky with a hint of sweetness.

You can probably use any kind of squash for this, but I really like the pairing of acorn and butternut. Just roast your squash until tender with a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Super simple.

And same goes for the tomatoes – roast them the same way with the addition of some basil and red pepper flakes. Once the tomatoes are soft and bubbling, you pour the coconut milk over them to deglaze the pan. The milk will loosen up all those good bits that get stuck to the pan during roasting. (Side note: If you’re pressed for time you can take the short road and either boil the squash and/or use a can of fire-roasted tomatoes instead of roasting everything). Once it cools some, just blend it all up, adding water and additional coconut milk until you get to your desired consistency. I like to add the little drizzle of coconut milk on top as well cause it’s pretty.

We’ve served this soup on the food truck with great success. And it was funny to watch a lot of our customers order it reluctantly and then end up being really into it!