Buttermilk drop biscuits

I did not originally come up with this recipe, and honestly, I have no idea who did or where I found it. I've been making these biscuits for so long that I've pretty much memorized the amounts but I can't take credit for them at all. These bake up fluffy but still nice and crunchy on the outside, which is exactly how I want my biscuits. The recipe below makes about 5 biscuits but if you're making these for more than 2 people you'll want to double the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Add shortening and mix together with your hands until things come together in crumbles, it should be dry and almost sandy. Gently stir in the buttermilk until just combined. Loosely form into balls, but don't make them smooth. The spikier the better. The spikes brown up and get all crunchy and delicious. Bake for 13-15 minutes.

Butternut squash soup

Yes, another soup recipe. This one is an important one though because I promise that it will feature heavily as the base for a few more meals as well. When I make this soup I make it plain and then season it as needed since it can be so versatile. If you know you're not going to use the leftovers for anything else then go ahead and season the whole pot. If you're doing that some good suggestions would be curry powder, or a vanilla bean, or cinnamon. I usually add cream to each individual bowl as well. The one pictured was topped with cream and cinnamon (although you can't see it) as well as granny smith apples, walnuts, and raisins.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed (scrape out the seeds too)
2-3 cups veggie stock
salt
pepper
toppings/seasonings

Directions:

Melt butter in a large stock pot over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and translucent but be careful not to brown them. Add squash and stir. Add just enough stock to cover the squash. For me this was about 3 cups. Bring things to a boil and continue to cook until the squash is very, very soft. Maybe about 20-30 minutes. Either use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree the soup and then thin to the consistency you like with more stock. Simmer for a few more minutes, transfer to bowls, and season each with the toppings of your choice.

Cheddar cheese grits

I was talking with someone recently who told me that they hated grits. I was shocked and then asked them how they made them. They told me that they tried to microwave them, which obviously didn't create the creamy and smooth texture of properly cooked grits. The recipe below is simple and comes together quickly, but still manages to turn out thick and rich. You can use any sort of cheese you'd like, but I've found that sharp cheddar or white cheddar work the best.

Ingredients:

1 cup veggie stock
1/4 cup quick-cooking grits
1 dash garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
black pepper
hot sauce, optional

Directions:

Bring veggie stock to a boil in a small pot, slowly stir in grits and garlic powder and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Grits are done cooking when they are thick but not dry. Turn off heat and stir in butter. Add cheese and season with black pepper. Serve right away and top with hot sauce if using.

Overnight oatmeal

Oatmeal always seems like a lot of work on weekday mornings. I'm certainly not going to wake up 15 minutes early to make a pot of oatmeal when I could just grab a yogurt and run out the door. This is the perfect solution and it will keep you much more full than yogurt will. I was a little worried about eating cold oatmeal, but it was actually really good! You could always pop it in the microwave for a little bit if you want it warm though.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup quick oats
1/3 cup water (or milk/almond milk/juice/etc)
1 small handful of nuts/fruits/seeds (really whatever you want)
Sweeteners (honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, etc), to taste
Flavorings (cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa powder, vanilla, almond extract, etc), to taste

Directions:

Place oats and whatever liquid you want in a mason jar. Top with fruit, nuts, seeds, sweeteners, and flavorings in any combination you'd like. Put the lid on and seal tightly. Shake until everything is mixed. Store overnight in the refrigerator. The oats will absorb the liquid and become soft and plump.

*The oatmeal in the front of the picture has raisins, walnuts, vanilla, and cinnamon. The ones in the back have chopped dates, walnuts, and vanilla. I didn't use any sweeteners other than the dried fruit and it was plenty sweet for my taste.

White bean and spinach soup

Soup is the perfect comfort food. Now that it is officially fall chances are good that I'll be making it at least once a week. This soup comes together relatively quickly and tastes delicious. The best part is that it is nice and creamy without actually having any cream in it. I've made this soup a lot and I've substituted kale for the spinach before and it turns out well, you just have to cook the kale a little longer.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 small onion (or 1/4 large), chopped

1 large (or 2 small) cloves garlic, minced

1 can of white beans, drained

1 cup veggie stock (or a cup of water with a bouillon cube dissolved)

1/4 teaspoon rosemary

dash of cayenne pepper

a few good cracks of black pepper

1 large handful of spinach leaves, cut into ribbons

shaved parmesan cheese

balsamic vinegar

lemon oil 

Directions:

In a medium pot, heat oil over medium heat and add onion and garlic. Cook onions and garlic until they are soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add the beans and the stock, then sprinkle in the rosemary, cayenne, and black pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat until beans are soft, approximately 10 minutes. Pull out about 1/3 cup of the beans, then puree the remainder. Add the beans back in and continue to simmer for a few more minutes. Add the spinach to the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until it has wilted. Transfer to bowls and top with shaved parmesan slices, a few drops of balsamic vinegar, a few drops of lemon oil, and a good crack of black pepper.

Hot sauce

Full disclosure: this is absolutely not a recipe I created. This comes from Bon Appetit. I've made this a few times and it is seriously some of the best hot sauce I've had and I really didn't see the need to change it or adapt it at all. It doesn't have the consistency of mass produced hot sauce - it is pretty thin so it pours rather than drips like store bought so just be careful when you're using it.

Ingredients:

1 pound of hot peppers (jalapeno, serrano, cayenne, habenero, etc)*
2 tablespoons of salt
1 1/2 cups white vinegar

Directions:

Throw the peppers and the salt into a food processor and pulse until you have a nice puree going. It won't be smooth yet, but that's ok, you're going to process it again anyway. Transfer the mixture to a non-reactive container (preferably glass) and let it sit, covered, at room temperature for anywhere between 1 and 7 days. I usually let mine go for 3-4, otherwise it gets too intense for me. Put the puree and the vinegar into a food processor and turn it on continuously until you get a nice, smooth consistency. Strain the mixture through a coffee filter, pressing slightly on the solids to extract all the sauce. Store in a glass container and keep in the refrigerator for up to four months. Shake it before using.

*Sometimes I'll add a clove or two of garlic as well. The one pictured is made with 100% serrano peppers. If you don't want it so spicy you could replace some of the hot peppers with a bell pepper of the same color.

Spicy potato tacos

I love tacos. There are so many delicious kinds you can make whether you're a vegetarian or not. Tacos are one of those meals where you can make several fillings and then people can decide what kind they want, making it a good choice for when you are serving meat eaters and non-meat eaters. I love this version because it is a little different than you're typical taco. Feel free to adjust the level of spice to your liking. The amounts listed below made three tacos (enough to feed just me), obviously increase the amounts if you're making it for more than one person.

Ingredients:

4-5 red potatoes, diced (I cut each potato in 6ths)
1 1/2 cups veggie stock (or water with a bullion cube dissolved in it)
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1-2 good shakes crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 of a large jalapeno, minced
3 corn tortillas
Toppings: avocado, tomatoes, red onion, sour cream, shredded lettuce, chives, cilantro, hot sauce, etc.

Directions:

Combine potatoes, stock, tomato paste, and spices in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pan with a lid that is tilted to the side to allow some of the steam to escape. Continue to cook the potatoes until they are a step or two past fork tender - they should be soft but not falling apart. Mash a few of them and continue to cook until most of the water has evaporated. Add oil and jalapenos and keep cooking, uncovered, until potatoes begin to crisp up, making sure to scrape the pan every once in a while to make sure nothing burns. Heat tortillas by wetting them and then placing them on a hot saute pan, flipping them after about a minute. Fill tortillas with crisped up potatoes, then top with whatever toppings you'd like.

Fried green tomatoes

I recently bought my first cast iron skillet (finally!) and I had been trying to think of the perfect thing to break it in when the idea of fried green tomatoes came to me. It's such a southern dish that it just felt like the right choice (other than cornbread of course, but my skillet is way to big for cornbread unless I'm cooking for others too). I made mine on the spicy side and served them with sour cream and hot sauce, but feel free to adjust the seasonings however you'd like. If you want them smoky but not spicy some smoked paprika would be really nice in the bread crumbs.

Ingredients:

2 - 3 green tomatoes
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 or 6 good cracks of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Slice your tomatoes horizontally in 1/4" to 1/2 inch slices. Pour your buttermilk into a small bowl (I used a teacup, which was the perfect size to dunk each slice) and, in a separate shallow dish, mix together your bread crumbs, flour, garlic, cayenne, salt, and pepper. One at a time, dunk a tomato fully under in buttermilk, then transfer to the breadcrumbs and coat completely. Repeat for each tomato. Heat your skillet (doesn't have to be cast iron) over medium heat and add oil and butter. When the butter is melted add your tomato slices and fry for 2-3 minutes, flip and fry 2-3 more minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and season with salt. Serve immediately (they really don't keep well).

Black bean soup

I love soup. I once told someone that soup was my favorite food but I was told that soup isn't a food, it is a method of cooking. I'm sticking by it though. Soup is delicious. This soup can be easily adjusted to your preferences (just like most soups) so feel free to play around with it. I like to top this soup with lots of things but it is good just on its own as well.

Ingredients:

1 large clove (or 2 small cloves) of garlic, minced
1/2 small (or 1/4 large) red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
4-6 slices green pepper, chopped
1/2 a tomato, chopped
1/2 a jalapeno, minced (adjust to your taste)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups veggie stock (or 1 bouillon cube mixed with 1 1/2 cups water)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Toppings: sliced avocado, chopped red onion, chopped tomato, sour cream, cilantro, hot sauce, etc.

Directions:
In a medium sauce pot saute garlic, onion, and green pepper in olive oil over medium low heat for a few minutes or until the onion softens but before it browns. Once soft, add the tomato and jalapeno and continue to cook for another minute or two. Add black beans, stock, cumin, and chili powder and stir to combine. Turn heat up to medium and bring to a low boil for 5-10 minutes or until the beans are soft and can be easily smashed. At this point you can puree the whole thing and make it smooth, or you can do what I do and smash the beans with a potato masher until most of them have broken down but stop before it becomes smooth. Turn heat down to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens up to the consistency you like. Ladle into bowls and top with any combination of toppings you like.