Hillaire Baumgartner
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
This cozy soup is bursting with flavor and comes together with minimal effort.
Serves 4–6
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, diced
2 teaspoons garlic
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon coriander
4 cups butternut squash, diced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
Instructions:
Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat.
Once hot, add the olive oil, shallots, and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes or until fragrant.
Add the spices and squash and stir to combine.
Pour in the vegetable broth and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.
Continue cooking for 20 minutes or until the squash is very tender and cooked through.
Once cooked through, remove the bay leaf.
Pour in the coconut milk, then use an immersion blender to make the soup creamy until no chucks remain and then serve.
Hillaire Baumgartner
Apple Spiced Punch
This refreshing, icy punch is full of fall flavor and topped with ginger beer.
Makes 4–6 drinks
Ingredients
4–6 pears, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
2 cups cran-apple juice
Ginger beer
Cinnamon sticks
Directions:
Make a puree by adding the pears into a blender or food processor and blending until smooth.
Add 1 cup of pear puree, cran-apple juice, and a handful of ice to a cocktail shaker and shake well.
Pour into a glass filled with ice and top with ginger beer and a cinnamon stick.
Hillaire Baumgartner
Vegan Beer Cheese Dip
An easy, creamy appetizer made vegan.
Serves 4 – 6
Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegan butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup beer
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
8 ounces shredded vegan cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over low heat.
Add the butter and wait until it melts and then add the flour.
Whisk to combine until the flour is no longer visible.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir continuously until melted.
Hillaire Baumgartner
Chewy Date Crumble Bars
These bars contain layers of an oat crust, date filling, and an oat crumble, then baked to perfection.
Makes 9 bars
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup golden or maple syrup, divided
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups dates, pitted and chopped
1 cup water
Directions:
Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, baking powder, and salt. Then, pour in the coconut oil, 1/4 cup golden syrup, and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
Set 1/4 of this mixture aside and with the remaining batter, evenly spread on the parchment paper.
Make the date puree by adding the dates, water, and remaining 1/4 cup golden syrup into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then take off of the heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes, or until the dates are very soft.
Then, transfer the dates with the liquid into a blender or food processor and blend until creamy.
Spread the date puree over the crust layer in the pan, then top with the remaining crust mixture.
Bake for 25 minutes, then allow to fully cool before cutting and serving.
