SINCE CUTTING MEAT, I HAVE NO MORE HEARTBURN.

They enjoy cooking vegetarian dishes for guests but realize that no matter how much they encourage others to try their creations, not everyone will be on board.

And they get it. Once in a long while they even get a hankering for a hot dog or a piece of steak, so that’s when they turn to plant-based products made to taste like meat.

“If you would have asked me seven years ago if I could live without meat, I may have said, ‘No,’ but now, I would never go back because the bene ts and how much healthier we are today is totally worth it,” Julie says.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

INGREDIENTS :

1/2 cup sweet potato (mashed) *can substitute butternut squash for sweet potato

1 1/2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup diced white onion

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 medium red bell pepper (diced)

1 small jalapeno (diced)

3 garlic cloves (minced)

2 tbsp. nutritional yeast (Braggs brand for the B Vitamins)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder

1 tsp. dried parsley

1 large egg whisked

1 cup bread crumbs (I use panko)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Poke holes in sweet potatoes and wrap in foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast about 45 minutes or until tender. Prep the onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet on medium heat. Add all of your diced veggies in, stir and saute until golden brown. Rinse and drain black beans in a strainer to remove as much moisture as possible. Take sweet potatoes out of oven, peel and mash with the black beans. Leave some beans whole for texture. Stir sautéed ingredients into the sweet potato mixture. Add (salt, cumin, parsley, chili powder, nutritional yeast, and parsley). Then add the whisked egg and bread crumbs. Mix completely. Form the mixture into patties about 1/ inch thick Heat a skillet to Put olive oil in the bottom

You can place two or three patties in the pan at Cook about five minutes until lightly Flip and cook the other side until browned.

Butternut Squash Pumpkin Soup

INGREDIENTS :

2 lbs. butternut squash

1 tbsp. olive oil

3 cups vegetable broth

1 medium onion (diced)

1 shallot (diced)

3 ribs of celery

8 garlic cloves (minced)

15 oz. of pumpkin puree

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground pepper

Yellow Squash

INGREDIENTS :

3 zucchinis and 3 yellow squash (quartered vertically)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tbsp. paprika

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. cumin

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup cotija crumbled cheese

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Fresh lime for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

OPTIONAL (TO DRESS UP): diced tomatoes, diced jalapenos, spinach, black beans

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350 F. Slice butternut squash in half (longways). Scrape out seeds. Lay parchment paper on baking tray. Coat each flesh side lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook face down on sheet for about one hour and 30 minutes until soft enough to scrape squash out of shell. Get large stainless stock pot. Add some olive oil, add your diced veggies (onion, shallot, celery, and garlic) and cook on medium/low heat until soft and golden. Turn down to a low simmer. Add vegetable broth to veggie mix and pumpkin. Stir in seasonings. Take squash out of oven and scrape out all of it and add to pot. Stir. Get your handheld immersion blender and mix until smooth. Keep burner on lowest possible setting and cover with lid. Serve in bowls, dress up with optional items and enjoy.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Lay out zucchini and yellow squash on a lightly greased baking sheet or parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix olive oil and spices. Brush seasoning mixture over zucchini and yellow squash, but leave some mixture for later. Roast in oven at 400 F for 25 minutes, or until squash becomes tender.

Cuban Flan

INGREDIENTS : cup white sugar, divided (Use 1/2 cup now and 1/2 cup for caramel later) can sweetened condensed milk eggs cans evaporated milk (can substitute for any other milk with fat)

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Fresh blackberries, raspberries, and mint for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Turn oven on and set temperature to 350 F. In a flan pot with lid, caramelize 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly until it has melted and is amber in color. Remove from stove and move caramel around the pot and up sides just a little. Mix the eggs with another 1/2 cup of sugar, milk and vanilla. (Mix until smooth). Add the egg mixture to the flan pot and cover with the lid. Cover top with foil. Place in flan pot in a cake sheet pan. Fill cake pan up 3/4 of the way up the pot. (1 1/2 inch of water). Bake at 350 F for at least an hour and 15 minutes. Check the flan after an hour (be careful). Remove the lid and stick a kitchen knife into the center of the flan and see if it comes out clean. Remove the pot from the water and let it completely cool. Once cooled remove the lid and foil and place on a nice serving tray. Make sure it has a small lip so it can catch all of the caramel goodness. Place one hand on the bottom of the flan pot and one on the Garnish immediately or place in the refrigerator