Blog Posts by OneGreenPlanet.Org

Winter Squash 101: Acorn, Kabocha and Butternut Squash

Winter squash makes eating seasonally so simple and delicious!

Ok, so they're kind of big and heavy and clunky. Some of them even have a tough, almost warty-looking skin.

It's true, winter squash can be a bit intimidating to the uninitiated. But the payoff of learning how to prepare these seasonal beauties is well worth the investment!

Beneath their tough exterior, winter squash are filled with a sweet, tender, and super nutritious flesh. Although pretty much any type of squash can be prepared any way you like, each variety has a unique flavor that is best suited to certain uses.

The guide below will walk you through cutting, cooking, and preparing three of our fall favorites - acorn, kabocha, and butternut squash.

Acorn squash has a smooth, dark green exterior with longitudinal ridges and a sweet, yellow-orange flesh. It derives its name from its distinctive acorn shape. This hardy winter squash can be stored throughout the fall and winter, and will

35 Delicious Ways to Eat More Greens

Leafy greens are undeniably one of the healthiest foods on the planet. They are extremely nutrient-dense, with a significant concentration of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Leafy greens are also highly alkaline and packed with heart-healthy and bowel-friendly fiber.

We all know we should eat more of them, but for many of us, all that buying, storing, washing, chopping, chewing and digesting just seems like too much. And if you're trying to get all your greens in salads, you may quickly tire of cold leafy vegetables.

Fortunately there are TONS of ways to incorporate more greens in your diet…even if you're not a fan of salads. Try cooking them in a scramble, pie, or pesto; incorporating them in a soup or creamy dip; roasting them to crispy perfection; or blending them in a juice, milkshake or refreshing green smoothie! The salads will be there when you're ready.

We have way too many amazing recipes to list them all, but here are a few of our favorites,

Vegan Pizza: A Wholesome, Healthy, Versatile and Delicious Alternative

A Healthier Option:

It's a real shame that pizza has become synonymous with greasy cheese, artery-clogging processed meats, and bleached white flour dough.

Pizza can be so much healthier and so much more delicious than that!

When it's made with wholesome, plant-based ingredients, pizza definitely doesn't deserve its reputation as a junk food.

In fact, vegan pizzas are some of the most delicious and nutritious meals around! No greasy, processed, saturated fat- and cholesterol-laden toppings here. Just plenty of fresh vegetables and herbs, creative sauce ideas, and tasty plant-based proteins.

Variety is the Spice of Life!

The ways to top a vegan pizza are only limited by your imagination. When you start thinking beyond red sauce and mozzarella cheese, you can come up with some pretty amazing combinations!

The diverse collection of recipes below is testament to the delicious variety of vegan pizza combinations that are possible. And it's just the

Summer Vegan Dessert Recipe Roundup

"What exactly is a summer dessert?" you might be asking.

Well, ice cream certainly comes to mind. A sweet scoop melting down the side of your cone. A bowl piled high with creamy vegan ice cream, fresh fruit, and perhaps a dollop of whipped cream.

Ice cream is, indeed an amazing summer dessert. But it already had its moment in the sun! Check out our vegan ice cream recipe roundup for all the great recipes.

Now we're free to explore (and enjoy!) all those other cool, refreshing, light, and downright delicious summer desserts! Popsicles and fudgesicles, shakes and sorbets, raw puddings and pies, grilled fruit, and fruity cupcakes. Now THIS is a mouthwatering collection of recipes!

Share these recipes at an end of summer cookout, or keep them all to yourself. Either way, enjoy!

Fruit-Based:

1. Grilled Cherries and Vanilla Bean Walnut Cream
2. Grilled Apple Pie with Vanilla-Coconut Whipped Cream
3. Classic Rhubarb Crisp - A Summer Tradition

Tips and Recipes for Using Summer's Bounty

A bountiful harvest is a beautiful thing.

That is, until you develop a pile of beets, zucchini, or corn that no normal person or family could ever. possibly. consume.

Then you start cursing those fruitful plants, secretly wishing for hail, drought, or a pack of squirrels to come and put you out of your misery.

Aside from pawning off unwanted veggies onto friends and neighbors, there are also plenty of creative ways to make use of summer's bounty. Here are a few of our favorite recipes for some of the season's most prolific producers:

Beets:

1. Beet-root Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes
2. Love Potion: Red Beet, Pear, Orange, and Apple Smoothie
3. Beet Chips
4. Grilled Beet Salad with Almonds and Dried Cranberries
5. Sesame Roasted Beets and Greens
6. Golden Beet Ravioli with Sundried Tomato and Italian Herb Filling
7. Braised Red Cabbage with Beets
8. Freekeh Salad with Beets, Cilantro and Lime

Zucchini:

Vegan dips, spreads and salsas are versatile, nutritious, and delicious!

Salsa and guacamole are a great way to use fresh summer ingredients like tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, and corn, and pair perfectly with tortilla chips atcookouts, picnics, and dinner parties.

Creamy and nut-based dips and spreads are year-round favorites, and are great scooped up with whole grain crackers or pita triangles.

And don't forget the hummus! Go classic and let that fresh lemon and garlic shine through, or get creative with sweet potatoes, red peppers, edamame, and other unique and wholesome ingredient combinations. Hummus makes an excellent snack paired with raw veggies, crackers, rice cakes, or pita chips.

Here's a roundup of 10 of our favorite vegan dips, spreads and salsas!

1. Fresh Green Tomato, Charred Corn and Basil Salsa
2. Mason Jar Salsa
3. Pimento Cheese Spread
4. Knock-off-amole
5. Indian Saag Dip
6. Game Day Guac
7. Vegan

A crisp graham cracker. A gooey, toasted marshmallow. And a bite of rich, melty chocolate. S'mores couldn't be simpler…or more addicting. Try eating just one of these decadent campfire treats!

There are a few extra considerations for vegetarians, vegans, and those of us with allergies and intolerances, but nobody needs to sit out! Gluten free and vegan products are now widely available - especially online. You're just a few clicks (or a trip to your local natural foods store) away from delicious vegan s'mores!

The Basics:

Graham Crackers: Many mainstream brands of graham crackers contain honey, and a few even contain milk, but there are several great vegan options available! An added bonus: many vegan varieties have a shorter, more wholesome ingredient list. The following crackers are vegan-friendly:

• Health Valley Amaranth Graham Crackers
• Sweet and Sara Graham Crackers
• Jo-Sefs makes several flavors of gluten-free, vegan cookies that work

Hearty, protein-packed salads are a great option for packed lunches, picnics,cookouts, and even quick weeknight dinners.

Loaded with nutritious and filling ingredients like beans, lentils, sweet potatoes,quinoa, and tempeh, these salads are also super-versatile.

Tuna-free, mock chicken, or egg-less salads are reminiscent of some classic favorites, while bean, grain, and quinoa-based versions are a great starting point for plenty of creative new combos.

Stuff these tasty salads in a pita, make a sandwich or wrap, or serve over greens. Whip up one of these delicious recipes and you've got plenty of lunch options for the week!

The recipes below are delicious as written, but many can also be customized based on what's in season, what's in your pantry, or what's on sale at your local market. Here are 13 great options!

Tempeh, Tofu, and "Mock" Salads:

1. Tempeh "Tuna" Salad
2. Tuna(free) Salad Sandwiches
3. Mock Chicken Salad
4. Minced