Hi college is BUSY and sweet potatoes take a LONG TIME. Time I don’t have! Of course I prefer the oven to the microwave, but in a pinch it’s a lifesaver.

What you’ll need:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• Sea salt
• Cinnamon
• 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
• Toasted pecans (optional)
• Pumpkin pie spice (optiona)

Lazy Fluffy Sweet Potato Mash

Steam two medium sweet potatoes in the microwave by wrapping each in a damp paper towel and throwing one more on top to cover both. Microwave for 7-8 minutes until tender. Remove from microwave and cut open, scooping flesh into a bowl. Toss in a few spoons of ghee, sea salt, cinnamon, and a generous few pours of maple syrup (the best part). Mash together. Top with whatever you’d like! I usually do toasted pecans (in the oven for ten minutes) and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice! .

Being home for break is the best because you find lonely bags of yellow lentils in the pantry and get to keep them company via recipe testing. I’ve been on a maple kick lately so I took a typical approach to golden lentil dal but gave it a sweet twist. Worked so well!

Maple Coconut Golden Lentils

What you’ll need:

• 2 cups rinsed and picked over yellow lentils
• 1 onion
• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• Sea salt
• Cumin
• Turmeric
• Curry powder
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• Coconut oil

Sauté onion in coconut oil, sea salt, cumin, turmeric, and curry powder. Once soft toss in diced carrots and cook until tender. Pick over and rinse 2 cups of yellow lentils. Add to the pot along with 1 can full fat coconut milk, 2 cups vegetable broth, and 1/4 cup maple syrup. Mix together and cook on high for 2-3 minutes before reducing heat to low and simmering for 20-25 minutes with continuous stirring. Cook to desired texture (more broth will make it more soupy).

The cutest lil’ babes that have been fueling my brain this entire semester. Has the chocolate chip and peanut butter combo ever gone wrong? I’d argue never…

No-Bake Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Energy Bites:

What you’ll need:

•1 cup oat flour

•3/4 cup peanut butter

•1/4 cup maple syrup

•3 tablespoons chia seeds

•A splash of vanilla extract

•A splash of almond milk to thin

Blend everything together until a sticky texture forms that holds together well. Mix in chocolate chips by hand and roll into balls. Store in fridge (about 5 days) or freezer!

Growing up 100% Italian meant my dad made homemade meat sauce every Sunday (still does)! Since I’m not a vegan I still get to take part in this tradition when I’m home, but while I’m away at school I don’t really eat meat. I’ve been replacing my meaty weekend bowl with this Vegan Lentil Carrot Bolognese with Brown Rice Fusilli and it’s SO close to the real deal!

What you’ll need:

• Pasta of choice
• 1 onion
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup steamed lentils
• 1 jar tomato sauce
• Sea salt
• Olive oil

Boil a pot of water for the pasta (I use Trader Joe’s quinoa and brown rice fusilli!). In another pot sautéed onions in sea salt and olive oil until browned. Toss in carrots and more oil if needed and sautéed until soft. Then throw in steamed lentils and cook for about five minutes. Next add in your sauce (I used Rao’s Homemade) and cook on low until hot all the way through. Add the pasta to the boiling pot and cook and drain. A few minutes (like 3) before the pasta is done I cover the sauce with a lid and let it sit with no heat to let it get thick. Once the pasta is done top with the sauce!

White Bean Pumpkin Seed Pesto:

What you’ll need:

• 1 can of cannellini beans,
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• Splash of water
• Sea salt
• Basil.

Blend all ingredients until desired thickness and store in the fridge! I blended mine super thick because when I mix it directly into hot pasta it gets all melty, but for a thinner pesto add more liquid!

This one’s a staple right now.

What you’ll need:

• 1 onion
• 1 box mushrooms
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1-2 roasted sweet potato chunks (coated in sea salt and olive oil, roasted at 375 for 40 minutes) *roasting ahead of time saves so much time!
• 1/2 can full fat coconut milk
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup frozen peas

Sautee an onion, mushrooms, and carrots in lots of olive oil and sea salt until soft. Then toss in chickpeas and cook for a 2-3 minutes. Add in roasted and chilled sweet potato chunks (these make it so much sweeter plus saves SO much time). After a few minutes add in 1/2 can full fat coconut milk, 1 can tomato sauce, 1/2 cup vegetable broth and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat (covered with stirring every few minutes). At the end I threw in frozen peas and cooked for another 5 minutes before taking off the heat and letting sit to thicken up!