Good afternoon from the mountains of Kentucky! I hope all is well in your part of the world. It’s been a roller coaster of a ride with the weather in the mountains for a few weeks. We’ve experienced a lot rain that resulted in flooding, thunderstorms, hail, and a lot of sunshine. I can’t complain, I love spring time whether it’s warm or chilly temperatures, but can do without the flooding. The warm days have been really good for my herbs! My chocolate mint already needs thinned. Strawberry mint seems to be taking over one section of the herb garden. I’ll be giving several starts off of it this year to friends and family. The chamomile is off to a great start too!

We were blessed with an abundance of produce last year and are still reaping the rewards of our veggies this year. I decided to cook Easter dinner today for my husband and myself. Last year’s green beans, corn, potatoes and spring onions are on the menu as sides! Now, if I could only figure out a way to preserve cucumbers! I’m anxious for garden time this year, because with all of the fresh produce, also comes great ingredients for new and delicious vegan recipes.

The most recent dish that I’ve made include, creole roasted veggies, with a wilted kale salad, and polenta on the side. I’ve been posting pictures of my vegan meals and tagging our daughter, who is also vegan, on Facebook. We’ve gotten a lot of great feedback, as well aroused much curiosity, and also had a lot of requests for recipes. So…here goes!

Creole Roasted Veggies Ingredients:

2 small sweet potatoes
5 small fingerling potatoes (or small potatoes of choice)
1 half of a yellow sweet onion
1 small butternut squash
6 to 8 eight baby carrots or 1 large carrot
1 hot banana pepper
1 small zucchini.
Creole seasoning
Extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

Cube all of the above veggies, except the onion and pepper, into small cubes, then slice pepper and onions. Add all of the vegetables to an air fryer and drizzle very lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with creole seasoning and salt and pepper. Shake the air fryer pan and sprinkle again. Roast veggies on high for twenty minutes. Check to ensure the veggies are done by piercing with a fork. I like to allow mine to caramelize a little and will allow them to roast a little longer. You can also roast the vegetable in the oven on 375 on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper for 40-45 minutes. I like to use the air fryer if I’m not going to be using the oven for another dish, especially in the summer.

Wilted Kale Salad Ingredients:

Fresh kale, extra virgin olive oil, remaining half of onion, 4-5 sliced portobello mushrooms, and a half a cup sliced grape tomatoes.

Process:

While the veggies are roasting, I heat a saucepan on top of the stove on medium heat, and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Using a pair of scissors, cut kale into pieces and add to the oil, slice four or five portobello mushrooms and add to the kale, slice the remaining half of the yellow sweet onion and add to the kale an mushrooms, slice a handful of small grape tomatoes in half and add to the skillet. Add a generous sprinkle of the creole seasoning along with black pepper and onion salt. Saute the vegetables until tender and turn the heat off.

Polenta Ingredients:

Instant polenta, non-dairy butter, unsweetened almond milk, non-dairy cheese of choice.

I also added a side of instant polenta to this dish. This is the easiest side ever! I buy polenta that’s in a roll. It has a great shelf life, and tastes great. It’s much easier to prepare than cooking polenta from scratch. To feed two people, you will need to slice four or five slices of the polenta off the role and cut it into small pieces. Add the polenta pieces to a small saucepan and add about 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk. Turn the burner on to medium low. Using the back of a fork, mash the polenta until it’s mixed with the milk and smooth. At this point add a teaspoon of non-dairy butter and season with creole seasoning and a little black pepper. I like to add a piece of no -dairy provolone cheese just before serving. Allow the cheese to melt and give it a final stir.

Serve roasted veggies, with a side of wilted kale salad, and few spoons of polenta. Sprinkle the servings with a light dusting of the creole seasoning and a drizzle of hot sauce and you’re ready for a delicious and filling dish.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! Feel free to leave a comment, ask a question of just drop a greeting. If you’re just stopping by, feel free to click on follow for upcoming recipes! God bless each of you! Happy Easter!